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The Cleveland Guardians (45-48) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (41-52) open a 3-game interleague series Monday at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Guardians vs. Pirates odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting since Pirates won 2 of 3 games in 2021
The Guardians are in freefall, dropping 4 consecutive games to slip to 2 1/2 games out of 1st place in the AL Central behind the Minnesota Twins. Cleveland has averaged just 2.5 runs per game (RPG) during the 4-game skid.
The Pirates were swept over the weekend against the San Francisco Giants, losing all 3 games by a combined score of 17-9. Pittsburgh has dropped 10 of the past 12 games overall.
Cleveland has managed a 12-18 record in interleague play this season, while Pittsburgh has posted an 11-18 mark against the AL. The Guardians are 21-26 on the road this season, while the Pirates are 22-24 on their home field.
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Guardians at Pirates projected starters
RHP Xzavion Curry vs. RHP Quinn Priester
Curry (3-0, 3.04 ERA) makes his 1st start of 2023, and just the 3rd of his MLB career. He has a 1.16 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9 and 6.1 K/9 in 23 appearances this season covering 47 1/3 innings.
- Last appearance: 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K in a 2-0 road loss in relief vs. the Texas Rangers Saturday
- 2023 road splits: 1-0, 4.03 ERA (22 1/3 IP, 10 ER – 4 HR), .275 opponent batting average (OBA) in 11 relief appearances
Priester is making his ML debut. He was 7-3 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.6 BB/9 and 8.6 K/9 in 87 2/3 innings in 18 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis.
- Last start (Triple-A): No-decision, 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 HBP, 0 BB, 0 K vs. the Omaha Storm Chasers Friday
- 2023 home splits (Triple-A): 3-1, 2.56 ERA (45 2/3 IP, 13 ER – 1 HR), .228 OBA in 8 starts
Guardians at Pirates odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook’s; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:58 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Guardians -124 (bet $124 to win $100) | Pirates +106 (bet $100 to win $106)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Guardians -1.5 (+126) | Pirates +1.5 (-152)
- Over/Under (O/U): 9.5 (O: -104 | U: -118)
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Guardians at Pirates picks and predictions
Prediction
Guardians 6, Pirates 4
Moneyline
The GUARDIANS (-124) are a solid play on the moneyline.
While Curry makes his 1st start of the season, and just the 3rd of his career, he has been holding it down and posting strong numbers out of the bullpen for the Guardians.
Priester makes his debut for the Pirates (+106), and he is a bit of an unknown quantity. He hasn’t exactly lit it up in the minors, and Cleveland should be able to welcome him to the majors with an L.
Run line/Against the spread
The GUARDIANS -1.5 (+126) are worth backing lightly, mainly due to the ineptitude of the Bucs.
The Pirates +1.5 (-152) cannot be trusted, however, as Pittsburgh has lost 5 straight at home. In addition, the Pirates are 2-10 in the lpast 12 games overall, with 9 of those setbacks coming by 2 or more runs.
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Over/Under
OVER 9.5 (-104) is worth playing lightly in this interleague series opener.
The Over has connected in 2 of the last 3 games for the Bucs, and 8-1-1 in the last 10 games at home. The Over is also 3-0-1 in the past 4 interleague games for the Bucs.
For the Guardians, the Over cashed in 2 of 3 games over the weekend in Texas, and the Over is 5-3 in the last 8 road games for Cleveland. The Over is 8-6-1 in the past 15 interleague games for the Guards, too.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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