The Dodgers are the heavy favorite heading into Sunday's interleague matchup vs. the Guardians, with their money line odds sitting at -158 compared to the Guardians at +134. Today's forecast in Los Angeles calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the low 90s. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is set for 4:10 PM ET.
Cleveland comes into the game with a record of 81-61, while the Dodgers are 85-57 overall. Jack Flaherty will start for the Dodgers, while the Guardians are sending Tanner Bibee to the mound. This game will be televised on SNLA.
Cleveland vs. Los Angeles Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Guardians at Dodgers
- Where: Dodger Stadium Los Angeles
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds LAD -158 | CLE +134 O/U 8.5
Guardians vs Dodgers Last Game Recap
It was all Los Angeles in the last game of this series, as the Dodgers took down the Guardians by a score of 7-2. The Dodgers offense only had two more hits than the Guardians and struck out eight times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -151 on the money line.
Cleveland got on the board with two runs in the first inning but didn't score another run until putting up one in the 4th. As for the Dodgers, they scored six of their seven runs in the 1st and added an insurance run in the 4th. Both teams went silent after that, as the Guardians could only muster two hits after the 4th inning.
Ryan Brasier only went one inning for the Dodgers but didn't give up a hit or an earned run. He finished the game with just one strikeout and allowed two walks. Gavin Williams had a rough outing for the Guardians, giving up five runs in just two-thirds of an inning of work.
Guardians Preview
As the underdog, Cleveland has a 20-24 record on the road and a 32-24 record against the run line. Their overall run line record is 71-71, and their over/under record for the season is 65-66. The Guardians are currently leading the AL Central by 3.5 games over the Royals, with an 81-61 overall record.
Overall, Cleveland's series record this season is 26-14-5, and they have a +0.5 run margin per game. When favored, they are 56-30 straight up, but as the underdog, they are 25-31. This season, the Guardians have played 20 games with an 8.5 run total, going over 20 times and under 19 times.
Cleveland is sending right-hander Tanner Bibee to the mound today as he faces the Dodgers on the road. Bibee has made 27 starts this season and has a record of 11-6 with a 3.56 ERA. In his 27 appearances, he has turned in nine quality starts. Bibee's most recent outing was a good one, as he picked up the win against the Royals. In that outing, he went six innings, giving up just one earned run on six hits. Looking back further, he had been struggling, going winless in three straight starts before that.
The Guardians come into the game with a team batting average of just .238, which is 16th in the league and below the league average. However, they do have the league's 12th best home run total and are averaging 4.5 runs per game. Cleveland is also one of the league's best teams at avoiding strikeouts, as they are currently 3rd in the league in this category.
Andrés Giménez comes into the game on a six-game hitting streak, and over this stretch, he has gone 8/25 with two homers. Lane Thomas is also on a hitting streak, and he has gone 8/20 with two homers over his last six games. Looking at the season as a whole, José Ramírez and Josh Naylor are the Guardians' top power threats, as they are 1st and 2nd on the team in homers, respectively.
Dodgers Preview
This season, the Dodgers have an overall series record of 27-17-3 and a 71-71 run line record. They have a +0.8 run differential per game, and their games have averaged 9.2 runs. As favorites, the Dodgers are 64-62 against the run line, while as underdogs, they are 7-9.
Los Angeles is currently tied with the Guardians in their series and has an 85-57 overall record, leading the NL West by five games. They have a 46-25 home record and a 39-32 road record. The over/under line for today's game is set at 8.5 runs, and the Dodgers have a 32-23 O/U record in games with that line this season.
Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Dodgers today and is facing the Guardians. So far this season, he has made 24 starts and has a record of 11-6. Flaherty's ERA is 3.01, and he is coming off a start in which he gave up just one earned run. In that outing vs. the Diamondbacks, he went 5 2/3 innings and got the win. Looking back at his last three starts, Flaherty has given up just one earned run in each outing. His WHIP for the season is currently 1.04.
Los Angeles comes into the game as one of the league's top offensive teams, as they are 3rd in runs per game and have the 3rd best team batting average in the league. They are also one of the league's top home run-hitting teams, and their team on-base percentage of .330 is 3rd best in the MLB. The Dodgers have been even better at home this season, averaging 5 runs per game, which is also 4th in the league.
Shohei Ohtani has been the Dodgers' top power threat this season, as his 45 home runs are 2nd in the league, and he is also 4th in the MLB with 100 RBIs. Mookie Betts has been on a tear of late, going 9/20 in his last six games, including two home runs, and eight RBIs. He also comes into the game on a seven-game hitting streak.
Guardians vs. Dodgers Prediction: Dodgers ML -158
Our prediction for this one is that the Dodgers will pick up a win at home over the Guardians, with our predicted final score being 6-5 in favor of the Dodgers. If you're looking to place a bet on the money line, the payout for a Dodgers win is -158.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Jack Flaherty has the third-best chances of picking up a win among all starters, and we also have his finishing with eight strikeouts. As for Tanner Bibee, he is projected to finish with seven K's, and he ranks ninth in terms of predicted strikeout totals.
