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The Cleveland Guardians will conclude their three-game series with the New York Yankees on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. It's a potential American League Championship preview as we share our MLB odds series and make a Guardians-Yankees prediction and pick.
Guardians-Yankees Projected Starters
Gavin Williams vs. Gerrit Cole
Gavin Williams (2-5) with a 5.02 ERA
Last Start: Williams struggled in his last outing, going four innings, allowing five earned runs, six hits, striking out five, and walking two in a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
2024 Road Splits: Williams has been better on the road, going 2-1 with a 2.49 ERA over five starts away from Progressive Field.
Gerrit Cole (4-2) with a 4.15 ERA
Last Start: Cole had the best performance of his season so far, hurling six shutout innings, striking out eight, and walking two in a win over the Detroit Tigers.
2024 Home Splits: Cole is 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA over four starts at Yankee Stadium.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Yankees Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-160)
Moneyline: +138
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+132)
Moneyline: -164
Over: 8.5 (+100)
Under: 8.5 (-122)
How to Watch Guardians vs. Yankees
Time: 1:05 PM ET/10:05 AM PT
TV: YES Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Guardians have been one of the best teams in the AL all season. Now, they need to continue building momentum and locking down AL Central. Their offense has been stellar this season and has the potential to be even better.
Steven Kwan has been an excellent leadoff hitter and is one of the best in the game at getting on base and setting up the offense. He was hitting .313 with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 71 runs coming into the game. Jose Ramirez continues to make history and is the heart of this offense with all the power to boot. Significantly, he is batting .275 with 32 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 93 runs. Josh Naylor is another bat who batters the baseball. He is hitting .242 with 27 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 69 runs.
Williams needs to do significantly better. But he will have a tough time against one of the most loaded offenses in baseball. When Williams finishes, he will turn it over to the best bullpen in baseball. Emmanuel Chase is the best closer in the game at 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA with 37 saves in 4o chances. If the Guardians get him the ball, they likely win the game.
The Guardians will cover the spread if their offense can give them the early lead. Then, they need Williams to pitch well and avoid making mistakes against two of the best hitters in baseball.
Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Yankees recently took control of the AL East, but it is not guaranteed, as the Baltimore Orioles are right behind them. Thus, they need their offense to continue hitting the ball well and avoid the dreaded Guardians bullpen. Everyone saw what happened when the Guardians had a lead late on Tuesday.
Anthony Volpe is the leadoff hitter in New York and looks to continue driving the baseball. Ultimately, he came into the day batting .249 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 76 runs. Juan Soto has been one of the best hitters in the game. He is hitting .299 with 35 home runs, 88 RBIs, and 104 runs. Aaron Judge recently made history and passed 300 home runs. Now, he hopes to continue battering the baseball to support his starting pitcher, who looks like he is finally finding his stuff again.
Cole is going to have confidence after his last start. He is also 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA over 10 starts against the Guardians. Cole will then turn it over to a bullpen that is 10th in baseball. Clay Holmes has struggled in the closer's role, going 2-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 26 saves in 36 chances. He needs to do better to give the Yankees more confidence in him.
Final Guardians-Yankees Prediction & Pick
The teams have played tough battles, including the season's longest game. This will be the last battle unless they meet in the postseason. The Guardians are 63-62 against the run line, while the Yankees are 66-60 against the run line. Also, the Guardians are 36-31 against the run line on the road, while the Yankees are 26-34 against the run line at home.
But this is Cole's time, and it seems he has finally found his stuff. It's also challenging to trust Williams against this rugged lineup. Expect the Yankees to cover the spread at home.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Guardians-Yankees Prediction & Pick: New York Yankees -1.5 (+132)
