Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cleveland Guardians Preview
Friday’s interleague matchup between the Guardians and Dodgers is set to get started at 10:10 PM ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -155, while the Guardians are at +130. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs, and BSGL will be televising this one.
Matthew Boyd will start for the Guardians, and he is facing off against Landon Knack for the Dodgers. Cleveland is 80-60 this season, and they are first in the AL Central, while the Dodgers lead the NL West with an overall record of 84-56.
Check out BetCoco for Los Angeles Dodgers – Cleveland Guardians odds
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cleveland Guardians Trends and Key Stats
- Over the course of their previous five away games, the Guardians have recorded a 2-3 record, with a 2-3 performance on the runline.
- In the Dodgers’ five most recent home games, their record stands at 3-2 (SU) with 3-2 against the spread.
- Over their last ten games when playing as the favorite, the Dodgers have won 6-4 straight-up, and have a 5-5 record vs. the runline.
- Looking back at their last ten games as the underdog, the Guardians have a 2-8 straight-up record and a 4-6 record vs. the runline.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction
The Guardians wrapped up their series vs. the Royals with a 4-1 loss on the road. Cleveland was the +110 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Guardians, as they got on the board with a run in the 3rd inning but gave up the lead right away as the Royals scored four times in the bottom of the 4th.
Ben Lively had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on seven hits and issuing a walk. The Guardians also wasted a big game from Will Brennan, who went 2/3 with a double and a run scored. Cleveland’s offense scored only one run despite having seven hits.
Cleveland heads into their matchup vs. the Dodgers with an overall record of 80-60, which has them leading the AL Central by 4 games over the Twins. The Guardians are 24-21 in division play and have a two-game winning streak in series, and their overall series record is 26-14-5 this year.
So far, the Guardians have been really good at home, going 43-25, and they have gone 37-35 on the road. As the favorite, Cleveland is 56-30 this year, and they are 24-30 as the underdog. Their most recent series came vs. the Royals, and they won that series 2-1. Heading into today’s game, they are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
When the Guardians win, they win by an average of 3.4 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.2 runs per game. They are 70-70 against the run line this season, including 37-35 on the road. They are 33-35 against the run line at home. As the favorite, they are 39-47 against the run line. As the underdog, they are 31-23 against the run line.
Today’s over/under line of 9 runs is higher than the average line for Cleveland’s games this season, which has been set at 8 runs. The Guardians’ games have gone over the total 50% of the time this season, with a record of 65-65 on the over/under. When the over/under line has been set at 9 runs, Cleveland’s games have gone over the total 8 times, under 11 times, and pushed twice.
Matthew Boyd is on the mound for the Guardians today, as they take on the Dodgers. Boyd has been solid in his first 2 starts, picking up a win in his first start and then taking a loss in his last outing. In that game, he went 6 innings and struck out 8, but gave up 4 hits.
Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been one of the top home run duos in the league this season, as Ramirez’s 34 homers are 7th in the league, and Naylor is right behind him with 29. Ramirez’s 106 RBIs are 2nd in the league, and Naylor is 3rd in the MLB with 100 runs batted in. Naylor has also been hot of late, going 12/28 in his last seven games with one home run and eight RBIs.
As a team, the Guardians are 13th in the league in runs scored, averaging 4.5 runs per game. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Overall, they are batting just .239, which is 16th in the league, and have the worst BABIP in the league.
The Dodgers will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Angels with a 10-1 loss. Los Angeles was actually the favorite on the money line going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Angels scored five times in the first.
Offensively, the Dodgers only had one fewer hit than the Angels but scored just one run. Their lone run came in the 7th inning. Gavin Lux was 2/4 with a run scored. Bobby Miller got the start for the Dodgers and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up seven earned runs.
Los Angeles hosts the Guardians with an overall record of 84-56, good for 1st place in the NL West. They currently lead the Padres by five games for the division lead. The Dodgers are 24-19 in divisional matchups this year. Los Angeles has won two straight games at home and are 45-24 at home this season.
As the favorite, the Dodgers have gone 79-45 this year and just 5-11 as the underdog. The team’s overall series record is 27-17-3 this year. Looking at their most recent series, the Dodgers split a two-game series with the Angels.
Los Angeles is 35-34 against the run line at home this season, and overall the Dodgers are 70-70 against the run line. The Dodgers’ average run margin in winning games is +3.6, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.3. As the favorite, the Dodgers are 63-61 against the run line, while as the underdog they are 7-9.
Los Angeles is playing at home in a game with a high over/under line of 9 runs. The Dodgers have played in games with an average of 9.2 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 76-62. When the line is set at 9 runs, they have gone 11-9-2. This season, 15.0% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs, while 69.3% have had lower lines.
Right-hander Landon Knack is getting the start for the Dodgers today and has made eight starts this season. He most recently pitched on August 13th out of the bullpen, where he went four innings and gave up one earned run on three hits. In that outing, he gave up a homer. Knack’s record for the season is 2-2, and he has an ERA of 3.00. Opponents are batting .198 off Knack this season. One of his 10 appearances was a quality start, and his ERA at home is 3.13 compared to 3.04 on the road.
Shohei Ohtani has been the Dodgers’ top power threat this season, as his 44 home runs are 2nd in the league and lead the team. Ohtani is also 4th in the MLB with 99 RBIs. Ohtani is batting .290 for the season, and Teoscar Hernandez is also having a good season at the plate, with a batting average of .266 and 28 homers.
Los Angeles comes into the game as one of the league’s top offenses, as they are 4th in scoring and are among the league leaders in home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging. They have been even better at home this season, averaging 5 runs per game.
Our pick for this Dodgers vs. Guardians matchup is to take the Dodgers on the money line at -155. We actually have the Dodgers winning this one 6-5, and with the payout for a Dodgers win, we feel this is the best way to play this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Landon Knack is projected to go 3rd most innings among today’s starters, and he is also our pick to pick up the win. As for Matthew Boyd, he is 16th in terms of his chances to pick up a win, and we have him finishing with five strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cleveland Guardians Betting Tips
- Take the Dodgers on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Guardians (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Los Angeles Dodgers Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Kelly | Out | Shoulder |
| Clayton Kershaw | Out | Toe |
| Tyler Glasnow | Out | Elbow |
| Dustin May | Out | Elbow |
| Brusdar Graterol | Out | Hamstring |
| Tony Gonsolin | Out | Arm |
| Connor Brogdon | Out | Foot |
| River Ryan | Out | Elbow |
| Emmet Sheehan | Out | Elbow |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Out | Rotator Cuff |
Cleveland Guardians Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Carrasco | Out | Hip |
| Sam Hentges | Out | Shoulder |
| Josh Naylor | Questionable | Back |
| Shane Bieber | Out | Elbow |
| Trevor Stephan | Out | Elbow |
| James Karinchak | Out | Shoulder |
