Cleveland Guardians
Los Angeles Dodgers
(+100/-120)-150
As the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Guardians prepare for their matchup on September 7, 2024, both teams find themselves in a competitive race for postseason positioning. The Dodgers, boasting an impressive record of 84-57, are having a great season and currently sit in a strong position. Meanwhile, the Guardians, with a record of 81-60, are also enjoying a good season, but they face a challenging path ahead.
In their previous encounter on September 6, the Dodgers fell to the Guardians by a score of 3-1, a result that highlighted their recent struggles despite their solid overall performance this season. The Dodgers will look to bounce back with Ryan Brasier on the mound, who has had a tough projection for this game, averaging only 1.0 innings pitched with a concerning 0.6 earned runs allowed. This could pose a challenge for Los Angeles, especially given their reliance on a strong bullpen, currently ranked 12th in MLB.
On the other side, the Guardians will send Gavin Williams to the hill. While Williams has struggled with a 3-7 record this season, his xFIP of 3.98 suggests he might be due for better results moving forward. He recently pitched well, going 7 innings with only 1 earned run allowed in his last outing, which could give him the confidence needed against a potent Dodgers lineup.
The Dodgers’ offense ranks 3rd in MLB, showcasing their ability to generate runs, and they are projected to score an impressive 5.08 runs in this game. With Shohei Ohtani leading the charge, the Dodgers will aim to capitalize on their offensive strength against the Guardians, who rank 17th in MLB offensively.
Cleveland Guardians Insights
- Gavin Williams – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+145/-190)Gavin Williams’s slider utilization has fallen by 15.2% from last year to this one (22.1% to 6.9%) .Explain: Because sliders are one of the most effective pitches to use, a pitcher who alters his pitch mix to use them less often may see less success as a result, particularly if he uses his fastball more instead.
- Lane Thomas – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-175/+135)Lane Thomas has been cold in recent games, with his seasonal exit velocity of 88.8-mph dropping to 82.2-mph over the past two weeks.Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
- Gavin Williams – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+145/-190)Projected catcher Austin Hedges grades out as an elite pitch framer, via the leading projection system (THE BAT).Explain: Pitch framing is a catcher’s ability to make a ball look like a strike to the umpire, “stealing” strikes for his pitcher. This leads to more positive outcomes (like strikeouts) and fewer negative ones (like walks or earned runs).
Los Angeles Dodgers Insights
- Tommy Edman – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-195/+150)Tommy Edman is an extreme groundball batter and squares off against the strong infield defense of Cleveland (#1-best of all teams on the slate today).Explain: This player’s skill set matches up poorly with the opposing team’s defensive strength, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
- Los Angeles’s 89.4-mph average exit velocity this year is one of the best in baseball: #5 overall.Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
Betting Trends
- Over/Under 9.0 Game Total (+100/-120)The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Game Total Over in 36 of their last 61 games (+10.80 Units / 16% ROI)
- Cleveland Guardians – Over/Under 3.5 Team Total (-135/+105)The Cleveland Guardians have hit the Team Total Under in 22 of their last 32 away games (+10.80 Units / 29% ROI)
- Shohei Ohtani – Over/Under 0.5 Singles (+115/-150)Shohei Ohtani has hit the Singles Under in 33 of his last 48 games (+12.10 Units / 18% ROI)