Thursday's matchup between the Guardians and Yankees is set to get started at 1:05 PM ET from Yankee Stadium in New York. The Guardians are +143 on the money line compared to the Yankees at -169. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.
Cleveland is starting Gavin Williams, while the Yankees have Gerrit Cole on the mound. Both teams are 1st in their respective divisions. The game will be televised on YES.
Cleveland vs. New York Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Guardians at Yankees
- Where: Yankee Stadium New York
- Date: Thursday, August 22nd
- Betting Odds NYY -169 | CLE +143 O/U 8
Guardians vs Yankees Last Game Recap
New York cruised to an easy 8-1 win over the Guardians in the most recent game of this series. The Yankees had a huge 4th inning, scoring seven of their eight runs. As for the Guardians, they scored their only run in the 8th. Heading into the game, the Yankees were favored at -201 on the money line.
Nestor Cortes pitched well for the Yankees in this one, going seven innings and striking out four without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Joey Cantillo had a rough outing for the Guardians, taking the loss.
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto each homered for the Yankees, while Gleyber Torres scored twice and drove in two runs while going 2/4. Jhonkensy Noel had a two-hit game for the Guardians.
Guardians Preview
When the Guardians are the underdog on the run line, they have a 29-21 record, but as the favorite, they are 33-43. Cleveland's overall series record this season is 23-12-5, and they are tied in their current series vs. the Yankees.
Cleveland leads the AL Central by 2.5 games with a 73-53 record. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, and the over/under line for today's game is set at 8 runs. The Guardians have a 60-57 over/under record this season, and their current over streak is at 2 games.
Cleveland is sending Gavin Williams to the mound today vs. the Yankees, and he comes in with a record of 2-5 and an ERA of 5.02. Looking at his overall numbers, Williams has made nine starts, and opponents are batting .260 this year. In his last outing, Williams took the loss, giving up five earned runs in four innings of work vs. the Brewers. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Williams has a WHIP of 1.42 this year and is averaging 9.84 strikeouts per nine innings. So far, he has made two quality starts.
Over his last three games, Brayan Rocchio has gone 3/8 with a home run, and Josh Naylor and José Ramírez will be looking to break out of recent slumps, as both have gone just 2/20 in their last five games. Naylor and Ramírez have both gone deep in their last five games, but the Guardians will need more consistent production from their top two power threats.
For the season, the Guardians are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .238, which is 15th in the league, and their collective BABIP of .27 is the worst in the MLB.
Yankees Preview
Currently, the Yankees are tied with the Orioles for the AL East lead, with a 74-53 record. They have a 33-28 home record and an impressive 41-25 record on the road. Against the run line, they are 67-60, including a 40-26 mark on the road and 21-4 as underdogs.
Heading into today's game, the Yankees are 5-5 in their last 10 games and their games have averaged 9.3 runs per game this season. The over/under record for their games is 70-53, and their over streak is at 2 games. The O/U line for today is set at 8 runs, which is lower than usual, as 68.5% of their games have had higher total lines.
Gerrit Cole gets the start for the Yankees today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn't give up a run. In that outing vs. the Tigers, he went six innings, picking up the win and giving up just four hits. Looking back over his last three outings, Cole has finished with a no-decision in each one. His ERA for the season is 4.15, along with a record of 4-2. Cole's WHIP for the season is 1.36. Opponents are batting .258 off Cole this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 10.38 strikeouts and 2.77 walks.
Not only do the Yankees lead the league in team OPS and on-base percentage, but they are also the top home run hitting team in the league, and are 2nd in the league in runs per game. This season, they are averaging 5.1 runs per contest and have been even better on the road, putting up 5.4 runs per game. New York also has the league's top two home run hitters, with Aaron Judge leading the way with 47 homers and Juan Soto right behind him at 36. Judge also leads the league in RBIs (117), with Soto 5th in the league with 93 RBIs.
Judge and Soto have been two of the hottest hitters in the league of late, with Judge batting .419 over his last eight games with five homers and 11 RBIs. Soto has also been swinging the bat well, going deep six times in his last eight games while driving in 11 runs. Judge is also on a nine-game hitting streak.
Guardians vs. Yankees Prediction: Over 8 Runs -113
Our predicted final score for this one is a 5-4 win for the Yankees. However, with the money line payout sitting at -169, we are actually recommending taking the over at 8 runs. This is paying out at -113, and we have the Yankees and Guardians combining for nine runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Gerrit Cole is predicted to finish with six strikeouts, which has him at ninth among all starters. As for the Guardians' starter, Gavin Williams is projected to finish with six K's as well, which has him at seventh.
