Cleveland comes into this one with the Cubs as the heavy favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at -134 compared to the Guardians at +113. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the game will be televised on BSGL.
First pitch from Progressive Field is set for 6:40 PM ET, and the Guardians will be looking to keep their four-game winning streak going. They are 1st in the AL Central, while the Cubs are 4th in the NL Central with a record of 59-62. Chicago is starting Jameson Taillon, and the Guardians are going with Alex Cobb.
Chicago vs. Cleveland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Cubs at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Wednesday, August 14th
- Betting Odds CLE -134 | CHC +113 O/U 8.5
Cubs vs Guardians Last Game Recap
Cleveland picked up a 2-1 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians offense only had two more hits than the Cubs and struck out five times as much, but still picked up the win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -154 on the money line.
Jhonkensy Noel was the difference for the Guardians, as he homered twice, scored three times, and finished with two RBIs. Nico Hoerner had two hits and two RBIs for the Cubs.
Matthew Boyd got the win for Cleveland, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up just one hit and one earned run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued five walks. Emmanuel Clase got the save. Drew Smyly took the loss for Chicago, giving up one earned run in five innings of work.
Cubs Preview
Chicago's overall series record this season is 15-20-3, and they have won three straight series. They are 4th in the NL Central with a 59-62 record, nine games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs have a 6-4 record in their last 10 games and are currently on a two-game losing streak.
As underdogs, the Cubs have a 32-33 record on the run line, and they have covered the run line in three straight games. Their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season, with the over hitting 53 times and the under 64 times. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the over has hit 15 times out of 28.9% of their games.
Right-hander Jameson Taillon is on the mound for the Cubs today as he faces the Guardians on the road. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 8-6 with a 3.50 ERA. Taillon's WHIP for the season is currently 1.18. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going five innings and giving up five earned runs on four hits. Before that, he had turned in three straight solid outings, giving up one earned run in each of those starts. Taillon has allowed at least one homer in each of his last three outings.
So far this season, the Cubs offense has been just below average, averaging 4.2 runs per game. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .236, which is 17th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .311 is 10th in the league. Chicago is also 7th in the league in walks.
Chicago's top power threat so far this season has been Ian Happ, who has 20 homers but is batting just .230 for the season. He has been swinging a better bat of late, going 7/27 in his last seven games with three homers. Nico Hoerner comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .258 for the season.
Guardians Preview
Today, Cleveland will host the Cubs with an overall series record of 22-11-5. The Guardians have won four straight games, bringing their season record to 71-49, and they lead the AL Central by 3.5 games over the Twins. Cleveland's games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, and their overall O/U record is 58-54.
As the favorite, the Guardians have a 49-25 record, and their overall run line record is 59-61. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.3, while it is -3.2 in losing games. The O/U line of 8.5 runs is lower than usual, as 52.5% of their games have had lower totals than today's line.
Alex Cobb and the Cleveland Guardians are taking on the Cubs at home. Cobb's first start of the season came on the road against the Twins, where he took the loss. In that outing, he went 4 2/3 innings, giving up 4 runs, 1 of which was earned, and he struck out 9 batters.
Jose Ramirez has been one of the league's top power threats this season, as his 31 home runs are 6th best in the MLB and the most on the Guardians roster. He is also 2nd in the league with 97 RBIs. Ramirez has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/20 in his last five games. Josh Naylor is also a power threat for the Guardians, as his 26 homers are 10th in the league.
As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game and have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are 10th in the league in home runs and have the 13th best team batting average in the MLB. Currently, the Guardians have two players on hitting streaks, as Ramirez has hit safely in his last three games, and Will Brennan has a five-game hitting streak.
Cubs vs. Guardians Prediction: Cubs ML +113
Our prediction for this one is that the Cubs will pick up a 5-4 road win over the Guardians. Given that the Cubs are the underdogs in this one, we really like the value of taking them on the money line, where they are currently sitting at +113.
If you're looking for an over/under prediction, we would take the under, as we have this one finishing with a combined nine runs, and with the line sitting at 8.5, there isn't a lot of wiggle room.
