Subscribe
Follow Us
The Cleveland Guardians take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Check out our MLB odds series for our Guardians Dodgers prediction and pick.
Cal Quantrill gets the start for the Guardians, while Julio Urias gets the ball for the Dodgers.
Cal Quantrill has a 3.38 ERA. He has been one of the steadiest, most consistent pitchers in the majors this season. That doesn't necessarily mean he has been an elite pitcher — he is not a top-tier hurler — but he has been very predictable and dependable within a given set of parameters. Quantrill is a pitcher who will pitch close to six innings and give up close to two runs. He does not deviate a lot from that standard.
Quantrill posted a 3.27 ERA in four April starts. He put up a 3.69 ERA in five May starts. He has delivered a 2.77 ERA in two June starts. He is a 3.00 ERA pitcher, more or less, in 2022. He hasn't given up more than four runs in any start. He hasn't had a single scoreless outing. He has given up exactly one run in two starts. The vast majority of his starts have been two-run or three-run outings, and he averages just over six innings per start (66 2/3 innings in 11 starts this year). That isn't elite consistency, but it's solid, competent consistency.
Julio Urias has a 2.80 ERA. He has turned in a very good year for the Dodgers. In 12 starts, he has allowed 26 runs. In two of those 12 starts, he allowed a majority of his 26 runs (14). In his other 10 starts, Urias has allowed a grand total of 12 runs combined. The one thing Urias needs to improve on is his ability to keep hitters in the park. He allowed two home runs in his most recent outing against the Giants on June 12. He has allowed five homers in his last three starts, 10 in his last seven. If he keeps the ball in play, he dominates.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Guardians-Dodgers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Dodgers Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-102)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-118)
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
*Watch MLB Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Guardians Could Cover the Spread
The Guardians are 14-4 in their last 18 games. They are playing their best baseball of the year. The bullpen has a 1.80 ERA in that 18-game span. This team is getting contributions from everyone on the roster, not just Jose Ramirez. The pitching rotation is holding up. The team gets big late-inning base hits with runners in scoring position. Cleveland shut out the Dodgers over the last eight innings of Friday night's game, including a 10th inning in which Los Angeles had a runner on second (the ghost runner or Manfred Man, whatever you want to call it) and nobody out. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are 6-10 in their last 16 games. They are 4 for 43 in their last five games with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers have scored just two runs in the last five games from non-home run sources. If they don't hit the ball out of the park, they don't score. Everyone is struggling at the plate, including Mookie Betts. Earlier this week, he scored his first run since June 3. The Dodgers have fallen into a rut.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover the Spread
Julio Urias is a very strong, very reliable pitcher. He will limit the Guardians' output at the plate. Beyond that, the Dodgers are simply way too talented to remain in a team-wide slump. They are going to break out of it.
Final Guardians-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
You should frankly stay away from this game, because the Dodgers have not been hitting well at all, yet are one swing away from busting loose and snapping their hitting slump. It's just not a good situation in which to make a bet. If you do insist on making a pick, though, Julio Urias is a reliable pitcher and the Dodgers are bound to break through at some point.
Final Guardians-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
