The Arizona Diamondbacks will conclude their three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Diamondbacks-Guardians prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled this season, their 46-57 record places them in fourth in the NL West. There are no hopes for a playoff run this season, and Arizona made two minor trades before the trade deadline. It is time for the young players to get some burn this summer.
The Cleveland Guardians sit at 53-50, just one game back in both the division race and the Wild Card race. Cleveland is backed by their strong pitching staff. A curiously quiet trade deadline may dampen the playoff hopes of this club.
Here are the Diamondbacks-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Diamondbacks-Guardians Odds
Arizona Guardians: +1.5 (+100)
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread
Arizona has clearly struggled this season, but especially offensively, with their .225 average being third-worst in the league. On the bright side, their 117 home runs are 11th in the league. Christian Walker has annihilated baseballs all season, with 25 home runs and an impressive .454 slugging percentage. Ketel Marte has an incredible 30 doubles, tied for seventh in baseball. Outside of those two, there is not much to write home about for this Arizona offense. Josh Rojas has stolen 12 bases without getting caught while hitting .268 in 73 games. There are a couple of components to a solid offense, but nothing has come to fruition yet.
Tommy Henry will be making his major league debut in this one. Henry has been great in Triple-A this season, with a 3.83 ERA in 108 innings. He was the Diamondbacks' second-round pick in 2019 after a stellar career with Michigan. Arizona's bullpen has not been good this year, ranking 22nd in baseball with a 4.09 ERA. Henry's repertoire is firmly average, a low 90s fastball is complemented by a slightly above-average slider and changeup combo according to FanGraphs.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland has been good at home, with a 26-20 record. An otherwise pedestrian offense has been buoyed by Jose Ramirez's performance, with 21 home runs and 34 doubles, and more walks than strikeouts. Josh Naylor (14 home runs) and Andres Gimenez (12 home runs, .304 average) have also been good. As a team, Cleveland is hitting .252, eighth in the majors, albeit with almost no power. The team's 82 home runs rank as the second-worst in the league. Still, the high contact rate of this team is elite, as they have struck out just 727 times, the lowest mark in the MLB.
Cleveland's pitching has long been a strength of this club, and 2022 is no different. Their 3.89 ERA ranks 14th in the league, and today, ace Shane Bieber will take the mound. Bieber owns a 3.41 ERA, navigating diminished velocity to another strong season. Bieber has walked just 2.12 per nine innings. Batters have whiffed on 30.8% of Bieber's pitches, ranking in the 84th percentile. Cleveland's 3.43 bullpen ERA ranks seventh in the league and has been dominant at times. Closer Emmanuel Clase has a 1.22 ERA and 23 saves, and opponents have hit a measly .154 against Clase. Trevor Stephan (2.45 ERA) and Nick Sandlin (2.60 ERA) have formed a strong bridge to Clase. James Karinchak has been resurgent since returning from injury, not allowing a run in his last eight appearances.
Final Diamondbacks-Guardians Prediction & Pick
This probably will not feature a ton of runs.
Final Diamondbacks-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Cleveland -1.5 (-120) & under 8.5 (-102)
Follow Us
Subscribe