Find Out the Guardians vs Dodgers Score Prediction and Game Analysis – 9/8/24

Cleveland Guardians

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Los Angeles Dodgers

As the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians prepare for their Interleague matchup on September 8, 2024, both teams are jockeying for position in a competitive stretch of the season. The Dodgers, boasting an impressive record of 85-57, are firmly in the playoff race, while the Guardians sit at 81-61, aiming to keep their Wild Card hopes alive.

In their last game, the Dodgers delivered a strong performance against the Guardians, who have been in decent form lately but face a tough challenge today. Jack Flaherty, set to start for Los Angeles, has been a reliable contributor with an 11-6 record and a stellar ERA of 3.01. Though he has a high strikeout rate (31.1 K%), he will encounter a Guardians lineup that ranks as the 5th least strikeout-prone offense in MLB. This matchup could favor the Guardians, as they might capitalize on Flaherty’s tendency to allow hits, projecting an average of 5.4 hits allowed today.

On the mound for Cleveland, Tanner Bibee also brings an 11-6 record but has a higher ERA of 3.56. Though he has shown good control with a low walk rate (6.2 BB%), his tendency to give up fly balls (40 FB%) could spell trouble against a Dodgers offense that is 3rd in the league in home runs with 139 this season. The Dodgers’ potent lineup, which ranks 3rd overall in MLB, may exploit Bibee’s weaknesses, particularly given their high implied team total of 4.66 runs.

Given the current odds, the Dodgers are favored to win, but bettors should keep an eye on how well the Guardians adapt to the advantages they may have against Flaherty’s pitching style. With the stakes high and both teams looking to solidify their postseason aspirations, this contest promises to be a thrilling encounter.

Cleveland Guardians Insights

• Cleveland Guardians – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (+130)
  The leading projection system (THE BAT X) projects that Tanner Bibee will average a total of 2.91 earned runs in today’s outing.
  Explain: THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors like ballpark, weather, umpire, defense, and more.
• Will Brennan – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-255/+190)
  Will Brennan has primarily hit in the back-half of the lineup this year (51% of the time), but he is projected to bat 1st in the lineup today.
  Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
• Jose Ramirez – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+115/-150)
  In today’s matchup, Jose Ramirez is at a disadvantage facing the league’s 8th-deepest RF fences given that he hits his flyballs to the pull field at a 42.3% rate (99th percentile).
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Los Angeles Dodgers Insights

• Jack Flaherty – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+100/-130)
  Jack Flaherty’s slider usage has increased by 5.2% from last year to this one (24.8% to 30%) .
  Explain: Because sliders are one of the most effective pitches to use, a pitcher who alters his pitch mix to use more of them will often see more success as a result.
• Shohei Ohtani – Over/Under 2.5 Total Bases (+110/-140)
  Shohei Ohtani has seen a notable increase in his exit velocity recently; just compare his 100.3-mph average over the last two weeks to his seasonal 95.4-mph figure.
  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.
• Los Angeles Dodgers – Moneyline (-165)
  The 2nd-best projected offense on the slate in terms of overall hitting ability is that of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  Explain: A pitcher who faces a strong opposing offense will be more likely to underperform his usual performance, particularly in terms of hits and runs, in that game.

Betting Trends

• Over/Under 8.5 Game Total (-115/-105)
  The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Game Total Over in 45 of their last 79 games (+10.85 Units / 12% ROI)
• Cleveland Guardians – Over/Under 3.5 Team Total (-120/-110)
  The Cleveland Guardians have hit the Team Total Under in 27 of their last 40 away games (+12.30 Units / 26% ROI)
• Gavin Lux – Over/Under 0.5 Home Runs (+560/-1000)
  Gavin Lux has hit the Home Runs Over in 8 of his last 41 games (+22.60 Units / 55% ROI)