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Monday's full slate of MLB action will continue as we're back with another prediction and pick for this game out West. The Cleveland Guardians (3-1) will take on the Oakland Athletics (1-2) from Oakland Coliseum. Check out our MLB odds series for our Guardians-Athletics prediction and pick.
The Cleveland Guardians are cruising after winning three of four games against the talented Seattle Mariners. Cleveland showed an ability early to drive in runs and close out clutch games in the final innings. Their pitching has been great thus far and they'll likely be going with RHP Zach Plesac for this one.
The Oakland Athletics dropped their first series of the season to the Angels, but managed to pick up a win in their 2023 opener. Many are predicting the Athletics to be the worst team in baseball this year, so there's a positive sign seeing them get on the board with a win early. They'll march out RHP James Kaprielian in this one.
Here are the Guardians-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Athletics Odds
Cleveland Guardians: -154
Oakland Athletics: +130
Over: 7.5 (-118)
Under: 7.5 (-104)
How To Watch Guardians vs. Athletics
TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes, NBC Sports California
Stream: MLB.TV, fuboTV
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/ 6:40 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
The Guardians have gotten out to a strong start and are looking like a solid favorite for the AL Central if they can contend with the Twins. Jose Ramirez will continue to get on-base at an alarming rate and they've seen the emergence of clutch contact hitters like Steven Kwan. Zach Plesac will be getting the nod in his first start of the season.
Listed as the fifth pitcher in the rotation, Plesac would like to build on what was a tough 2022 season. He went just 3-12 with a 4.31 ERA on 100 K and 1.32 WHIP. He also walked 38 batters last year and didn't see much of his production translate into wins. Still, they'll have a nice mismatch in this series with the Athletics, Cleveland will hope that their bats can continue to be hot as they back their pitcher up with run support.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
The Athletics were able to scrape out a 2-1 win in their 2023 opener, but have just been able to produce a total of three runs in their first three games. They were shut-out in their last game against the Angels and managed just five hits against a complete effort from the Angels bullpen. Many are predicting this Athletics team to be one of the worst in baseball, so they'll be at a significant disadvantage here in the offense.
James Kaprielian will be their likely starter in this one. He had a pedestrian second-year starting for the A's as he went 5-9 with a 4.23 ERA on 98 K and 1.34 WHIP. He certainly had a more productive year than his counterpart tonight, but it'll be a matter of whether he can get some run support from this lineup. With just three RBI total as a team so far, the Athletics will have their best chance to win behind a lights-out pitching performance.
Final Guardians-Athletics Prediction & Pick
If Zach Plesac can find just an ounce of control in this one, the Guardians should be able to continue swinging a hot bat. There's just a huge gap in the run production from both of these teams, so look for Cleveland to strike first and hold a lead in this one. Until we see something different, let's take the Guardians to keep rolling.
Final Guardians-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Guardians -154
