Brandon Pfaadt is starting for the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, and they are facing the Guardians, who are starting Ben Lively. The money line odds have the Guardians at -101 compared to the Diamondbacks at -118. This game is being played at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and the forecasted temperature is 67 degrees with broken clouds.
Arizona is currently on a two-game winning streak, and they are 61-52 overall, which has them 3rd in the NL West. Cleveland is 1st in the AL Central with a record of 67-45, but they have lost three straight. BSGL will be televising this interleague matchup, and the over/under line is at 7.5 runs.
Arizona vs. Cleveland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Diamondbacks at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Wednesday, August 7th
- Betting Odds ARI -118 | CLE -101 O/U 7.5
Diamondbacks vs Guardians Last Game Recap
It was a back-and-forth game in the most recent game of this Diamondbacks vs. Guardians series. Arizona went into the matchup as slight favorites at -120 and squeaked out a 7-6 win. The Diamondbacks had to rally late, as the Guardians scored one run in the 9th but fell short with Emmanuel Clase on the mound.
Zac Gallen got the start for the Diamondbacks, going just five innings while giving up five runs and striking out four. He did not factor into the decision, as Ryan Thompson got the win out of the bullpen. Justin Martinez got the save. Logan Allen had a rough outing for the Guardians, giving up two earned runs on five hits in five innings of work.
At the plate, the Diamondbacks were led by Gabriel Moreno, Joc Pederson, and Josh Bell, as they were the only three Arizona hitters to have more than one hit. Moreno and Pederson each homered, while Bell scored three times and drove in a run. Eugenio Suarez also had a two RBI game at the plate.
Diamondbacks Preview
Arizona has been playing well, winning eight of their last 10 games and six straight series. They are 61-52 overall and trail the Dodgers by 4.5 games in the NL West, sitting in 3rd place. The Diamondbacks are 4 games behind the Padres for the second Wild Card spot.
On the run line, Arizona has been a better bet as the underdog, with a 36-24 record, but they are 21-32 as the favorite. Their games have averaged 9.9 runs this season, resulting in a 62-48 over/under record. Today's O/U line of 7.5 runs is low compared to their usual totals, as 85% of their games have had higher lines. The over has hit in 7 of 11 games with a 7.5-run total.
Through 22 starts, Brandon Pfaadt has a record of 5-6 and an ERA of 3.98 for the Diamondbacks. He has made 11 quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he gave up three earned runs in five innings of work. In that outing, he gave up one homer. Pfaadt's ERA for the season is 4.43 on the road, compared to 3.53 at home. Looking back at his last four outings, he has finished with a no-decision in three of them. Pfaadt has allowed at least one homer in three straight starts.
Arizona comes into today's game as one of the league's top offenses, averaging 5.2 runs per game. They have been even better at home, also averaging 5.2 runs per contest. The Diamondbacks are also one of the league's top home run hitting teams, and they have the 4th best team batting average in the league.
Leading the Diamondbacks offense is Ketel Marte, who is batting .300 for the season and has gone 4/23 with four homers over his last five games. Marte's 28 home runs are 5th best in the league, and his 78 RBIs are 7th best in the MLB. Christian Walker is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he has 23 homers this season, which is 8th best in the league.
Guardians Preview
Today's game between the Guardians and Diamondbacks features an over/under line of 7.5 runs, and Cleveland's games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season. The over/under record for the Guardians in games with a 7.5 run line is 16-16. Cleveland has an overall run line record of 56-56, with a +0.8 run margin per game.
Cleveland leads the AL Central by four games over the Twins with a 67-45 record, but they have dropped three straight games. The Guardians have a series record of 22-10-4 and have won two straight series on the road.
Ben Lively will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win vs. the Orioles. In that start, he went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and he only allowed one homer in the outing. Looking back over his last four starts, Lively has given up two homers in three of those outings. His ERA for the season is 3.42, along with a record of 10-6. Lively has made seven quality starts this year, and his ERA at home is 2.72 compared to 4.13 on the road. So far, he has walked 2.56 batters per nine innings compared to 7.69 strikeouts.
Jose Ramirez has been on a tear for the Guardians, going 14/37 in his last 10 games with five homers and 12 RBIs. For the season, he is hitting .282 with 29 homers and 94 RBIs. Josh Naylor is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he has gone deep 24 times this season, which is 7th in the league. Naylor is batting .247 for the year.
As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.7 runs per game and have been a little better at home, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are 12th in home runs and have the league's 11th best team batting average. Cleveland is also one of the best teams in the league at avoiding strikeouts.
Diamondbacks vs. Guardians Prediction: Guardians ML -101
There are a few ways you could look to bet on this game, but we are going to recommend taking the Guardians on the money line at -101. We have the Guardians winning this one 6-5, and with the payout being close to even, we think this is the best route to go.
If you're looking for a parlay option, you could also look to take the over at 7.5 runs. However, our prediction is that this game will go slightly under, and we would recommend sticking with the Guardians on the money line.
