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The Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians will square off in the final game of their three-game series on Thursday in Cleveland. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes an Orioles-Guardians prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Baltimore is currently in fourth place in the AL East, surprising everyone with a 68-61 record. This young team is exciting and fun, and sit just two games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Top prospects are making their way to the big league club, which should excite the fan base and worry the baseball world for the Orioles' future.
Cleveland has surged forward in the AL Central this summer, overtaking first place with a 68-60 record. Cleveland holds a game and a half lead over Minnesota in the division. The team's pitching has been the strong point of the season, and they are sending their ace to the mound in this one.
Here are the Orioles-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Guardians Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-142)
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+118)
Over: 7.5 (-102)
Under: 7.5 (-120)
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
Baltimore has been relying on younger players for the majority of this season. Tonight, one of those youngsters, Kyle Bradish, will take the ball. Bradish, acquired in the Dylan Bundy deal, has had mixed results in his first season. The 25-year-old has gone 2-5 with a 5.63 ERA in 80 innings across his 16 starts. Bradish has been victimized by the long ball, surrendering 15 home runs in those 16 starts. Still, Bradish throws hard, averaging 94.8 mph on his fastball, and has promising offspeed stuff. Bradish is coming off his best start yet, tossing eight shutout innings against Houston, and owns a 4.26 ERA in his last seven starts, showing there is promise here.
Baltimore's bullpen has continued its excellence, ranking fourth in the league with a 3.16 ERA. It may seem like a broken record at this point, but new closer Felix Bautista has been unbelievable, with a 1.55 ERA, 10 saves, and 76 strikeouts in 58 innings. Lefty Cionel Perez, a waiver claim this offseason, has a 1.59 ERA in 53 innings, a true breakout season. Setup man Dillon Tate has quietly been one of the better options in the league, with a 2.70 ERA in his 55 appearances.
Offensively, Anthony Santander is the straw that stirs the drink in the absence of Trey Mancini. Santander has 23 home runs and 73 RBI to lead the team and is second with a .257 batting average. Behind Santander are a ton of interesting pieces. Ryan Mountcastle has lived up to the billing as a first-round pick, ranking second on the team with 18 home runs, 66 RBI, and adding 24 doubles. Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins lead the team with 29 doubles. Mullins leads the team with a .264 batting average and 29 stolen bases. Jorge Mateo, in addition to his stellar defense, has hit 12 home runs and stolen 28 bases. Baltimore is tied for eighth with 79 stolen bases.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Shane Bieber, the team's ace, will take the mound tonight. Bieber leads the team with a 3.02 ERA, striking out 153 batters in 152 innings across 24 starts. Bieber has only walked 5.3% of his batters faced this season, ranking in the 87th percentile. Despite a loss of velocity over the last two seasons, Bieber continues to produce at a top-of-the-rotation pace. Batters have hit .295 against a diminished fastball, but have not hit higher than .237 against Bieber's other four pitches. Bieber also excels at limiting home runs, allowing just 11 home runs in his 24 starts. Cleveland's bullpen ranks fifth in the league in ERA with a 3.17 mark. Closer Emmanuel Clase has been one of, if not the best closer in the league, with a 1.15 ERA and 30 saves in 58 appearances. Trevor Stephan has pitched to a 2.32 ERA in 50 appearances, striking out 65 in 50.1 innings. James Karinchak is back to his 2020 self, with a 1.17 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 23 innings.
At the plate, Cleveland is led by third baseman Jose Ramirez, who has hit 26 home runs and 106 RBI, bashing 39 doubles. Ramirez is slashing .284/.353/.547, putting himself in the MVP conversation. Andres Gimenez has hit 15 home runs and stolen 15 bases, leading the team with a .302 batting average. Rookie Steven Kwan has hit .295, second on the team, stealing 12 bases and hitting 21 doubles. Josh Naylor is second on the team with 16 home runs, adding 18 doubles and five stolen bases without being caught. Amed Rosario has hit 22 doubles, and seven triples, adding 12 stolen bases while hitting .283. Rookie Oscar Gonzalez has impressed in his 57 games, hitting .285 with 20 doubles.
Final Orioles-Guardians Prediction & Pick
Advantage to Bieber in this one.
Final Orioles-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Cleveland -1.5 (+118), over 7.5 (-102)
