The Houston Astros (36-27) begin a 3-game series against the Cleveland Guardians (29-33) on Friday at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Astros vs. Guardians odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting of 2023; the Astros won 4 of 7 meetings in 2022
The Astros lost 3-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. Houston has lost 3 consecutive games and is 5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West race.
The Guardians cruised to a 10-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox Thursday. 3B Jose Ramirez led the way with 3 home runs in Thursday’s win, giving him 9 on the season. Cleveland trails the Minnesota Twins by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central.
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Astros at Guardians projected starters
RHP Cristian Javier vs. LHP Logan Allen
Javier (7-1, 2.84 ERA) makes his 13th start. He has a 0.99 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9 and 9.3 K/9 through 69 2/3 IP.
- Has tallied 5 or more strikeouts in 10 of his first 12 outings
- Has been credited with a win in 5 straight starts
Allen (3-2, 2.76 ERA) makes his 9th start. He has a 1.34 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 9.3 K/9 through 45 2/3 IP.
- Has notched a quality start in 4 of his first 8 turns
- Has given up 2 or fewer ER in 6 outings
Astros at Guardians odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Astros -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Guardians -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Astros -1.5 (+145) | Guardians +1.5 (-175)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -120 | U: +100)
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Astros at Guardians picks and predictions
Prediction
Astros 4, Guardians 3
Moneyline
Even though Houston has lost 3 straight games, the ASTROS (-115) are who I’d side with in this game. Houston is 18-13 on the road compared to the Cleveland’s 14-16 record at home this season.
Run line/Against the spread
PASS.
The Guardians are capable of keeping this game close. especially after producing 19 runs in their last 3 games. That being said, taking Cleveland +1.5 (-175) to cover the run line isn’t worth the risk at the current odds.
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Over/Under
UNDER 8 (+100) is the lean in this matchup with Javier and Allen taking the mound on Friday. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Cleveland.
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