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The Cleveland Guardians will continue their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday at Rogers Centre. Two American League teams clash as we continue our MLB odds series with a Guardians-Blue Jays prediction and pick.
Guardians-Blue Jays Projected Starters
Gavin Williams vs. Kevin Gausman
Gavin Williams (2-2) with a 5.14 ERA
Last Start: Williams struggled in his last outing, going two innings while allowing four earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out two in a loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Away Splits: Williams has been bad on the road, going 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA over three road starts.
Kevin Gausman (2-3) with a 4.50 ERA
Last Start: Gausman was awful in his last outing, lasting just 2 2/3 innings while allowing six earned runs on three hits while walking five and striking out two in a loss to the New York Yankees.
Home Splits: Gausman has been excellent at home, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA over two starts at Rogers Centre.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Blue Jays Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-182)
Moneyline: +112
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+150)
Moneyline: -132
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
How to Watch Guardians vs. Blue Jays
Time: 3:07 PM ET/12:07 PM PT
TV: CleG
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
Jose Ramirez eclipsed another franchise record recently and will look to continue battering the baseball. So far, he has remained good, hitting .261 with five home runs, 15 RBIs, and 14 runs. Ramirez has been the main source of the offense throughout the last few seasons. Meanwhile, Kyle Manzardo has been quietly slugging the baseball. Manzardo is batting .223 with eight home runs, 20 RBIs, and 13 runs. Significantly, that means he is on pace for 46 home runs, 116 RBIs, and 75 runs if he can continue hitting well.
Williams has a challenging matchup ahead of him. Yet, he is more than capable of producing a good outing. When Williams exits the game, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is 15th in baseball in team ERA. Significantly, Emmanuel Chase has reclaimed his closer role after recent performances. Now, the Guardians hope to get him the ball with a chance to finish things off.
The Guardians will cover the spread if their offense generates some scoring chances and avoids leaving the runners stranded. Then, they need Williams to avoid falling behind in the count and get some of the better Toronto hitters out.
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
Vladimir Guerrero clobbered a game-winning home run earlier this week and has slowly been picking things up after a sluggish start. He is batting .267 with four home runs, 17 RBIs, and 14 runs. Even with recent struggles, Guerrero is still a mainstay in this lineup. Meanwhile, Bo Bichette is having a better season, batting .293 with 13 RBIs and 12 runs. But Bichette still has not hit a home run and will finally look to get one in this game. George Springer is quietly producing solid results, hitting .306 with two home runs, 12 RBIs, and 11 runs. Daulton Varsho has been steadily doing well in his most recent games, clobbering two home runs, three RBIs, and two runs. Now, he hopes to stay hot.
Gausman has had mixed results against the Guardians. So far, he is 4-5 with a 2.91 ERA over several appearances throughout his career. Gausman must try to hit his spots. When he exits the game, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is 16th in team ERA. Jeff Hoffman has been solid, going 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA and six saves. Ultimately, the Jays hope to get him the lead in this game.
The Blue Jays will cover the spread if Guerrero, Bichette, Springer, and Varsho can string together some hits and drive runners home. Then, they need Gausman to bounce back from his last start and hit his stride early to avoid falling into bad pitch counts.
Final Guardians-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
The Guardians came into the weekend with a mark of 16-15 against the spread, while the Blue Jays were 19-12 against the spread. Additionally, the Guardians were 8-7 against the spread on the road, while the Jays were 10-6 against the spread at home.
The Guardians have been better than the Blue Jays. However, they have also struggled at times and have not been consistent. I also like the pitching matchup for the Jays more than the Guardians. Therefore, I have the Blue Jays finding a way to win this game while covering the spread at home, with Gausman recovering from his poor start and making good pitches.
Final Guardians-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (+150)
