At 3:10 PM ET, the Astros and Guardians face off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and the Guardians are the heavy favorites on the money line (-183). The Astros are +153 and will be looking to extend their two-game winning streak.
Sunday's forecast in Cleveland calls for light rain and temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Ryan Gusto is starting for the Astros, and he is facing off against Nick Sandlin for the Guardians. Houston is 1st in the AL West, while the Guardians are 1st in the AL Central. BSGL will be televising this one.
Houston vs. Cleveland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Astros at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Sunday, September 29th
- Betting Odds CLE -183 | HOU +153 O/U 7.5
Astros vs Guardians Last Game Recap
Houston picked up a 4-3 road win over the Guardians in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a three-run 2nd inning and didn't score another run until putting up the game's go-ahead run in the top of the 9th. As for the Guardians, they scored one run in the 3rd inning and didn't score another run until tying the game in the bottom of the 8th.
Justin Verlander started for the Astros and went six innings while giving up three runs and striking out five. He picked up a win in the game, while Shawn Dubin got the save. Ben Lively only went four innings for the Guardians, giving up two earned runs on five hits.
Mauricio Dubon, Zach Dezenzo, and Kyle Tucker each had two hits and an RBI for the Astros' offense. Jose Ramirez did the same for the Guardians, hitting a home run and driving in three runs.
Astros Preview
With a 88-73 overall record, the Astros are currently leading the AL West by four games over the Mariners. They have won two straight games and have a 6-4 record in their last 10 games. Against the run line, Houston is 83-78 overall and 45-35 on the road. As underdogs, they have a 28-15 run line record.
This season, the over has hit in 76.4% of Astros games, and their over/under record is 65-90. The O/U line for their games has averaged 8 runs, and their O/U record with the line at 7.5 runs is 11-20. Today's O/U line is set at 7.5 runs.
The Astros will be sending Ryan Gusto to the mound today against the Guardians. He's eager to kick off his season with a solid performance, marking his debut for the year.
Yordan Alvarez has been one of the top power hitters in the league this season, as his 35 home runs are the best mark on the Astros and 8th best in the MLB. Alvarez is also batting .308 this season. Alex Bregman has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 11/34 in his last nine games, including three homers. For the season, Bregman is batting .260 with 26 homers.
As a team, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They are also one of the top home run hitting teams in the league and have the 2nd best team batting average in the league. Houston's team batting average is .262, and they are also near the top of the league in slugging and on-base percentage.
Guardians Preview
Heading into today's game, the Guardians have an overall series record of 29-16-6 and an 82-79 run line record, with an average run margin of 0.5 runs per game. They are currently on a two-game losing streak, having dropped the first two games of this series against the Astros.
As favorites, Cleveland has a 64-36 straight-up record this season. Their games have averaged 8.3 runs, and the under has hit in their last five games. The O/U record for their games with a 7.5 run line is 18-23, and 68.9% of their games have had higher totals than today's line.
Cleveland is starting right-hander Nick Sandlin today vs. the Astros. He has made 68 appearances this season and just one start. Sandlin's record is 8-0, and he has an ERA of 3.75. Opposing batters are hitting .215 this season off Sandlin, and his WHIP is 1.27. The last time he pitched was on September 27th out of the bullpen. In that outing, he went 1 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and issuing two walks. Sandlin didn't allow a run in that appearance. For the season, he has allowed a total of 12 homers. Per nine innings, Sandlin is averaging 4.21 walks compared to 10.61 strikeouts.
Jose Ramirez has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 13/34 in his last nine games with four homers and 11 RBIs. For the season, he is batting .279 with 39 homers and 118 RBIs. His 118 RBIs are the 3rd most in the league this season. Josh Naylor is also near the top of the league in RBIs, as he is 6th in the MLB with 108 runs batted in.
Overall, the Guardians are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. Their team batting average is just 15th in the league, and they have the worst team BABIP in the league. As a team, they are 11th in homers and are 4th in the league in fewest strikeouts per game.
Astros vs. Guardians Prediction: Astros ML +153
With the Astros coming in at +153 on the money line, we really like their chances of picking up a win over the Guardians. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Astros, meaning you could also look to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Nick Sandlin is projected to go 8th worst in terms of innings pitched and has the second-worst projected hits allowed among starters. If you're looking for a Guardians vs. Astros player prop, Sandlin is projected to finish with six strikeouts.
