We’ve got a fairly short MLB slate for Thursday with games scattered throughout the day. One of the night games is an American League clash between a couple of rebuilding sides. The Oakland A’s will open a four-game weekend set in Cleveland, where they’ll take on the newly-minted Guardians.
The Guardians, meanwhile, are somewhere in between. They’re not quite a contender, but they’re not rebuilding as aggressively as some other teams around the league.
Bovada oddsmakers like the Guardians quite a bit in this one. Cleveland is a heavy -180 moneyline favorite at home in a game with an over/under of 8.5 runs.
Oakland Athletics
Not only did the A’s torpedo last year’s roster, but longtime manager Bob Melvin also left for greener pastures. In his place, the A’s hired former player Mark Kotsay, who is in his first year as a manager at the major league level.
Needless to say, things could be going better for the Athletics. Oakland is just 20-38, which is good for last place in the American League West. Only the 18-37 Royals have been worse among all American League sides so far in ’22.
Struggling right-hander James Kaprielian will take another turn for Oakland in this one. The 28-year-old enjoyed a promising rookie campaign last year, but things have taken a turn for the worse this year.
Among players that have played at least 30 games, Chad Pinder leads all A’s in batting average at a paltry .243.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are off to a 26-26 start. That may not sound incredible, but it’s still good for second place in a very underwhelming AL Central. Three of the division’s five teams are south of the .500 mark, while the division-leading Twins are just 33-25.
The Guardians may not have planned on contending coming into the year, but the playoffs are a very realistic goal at this point. Cleveland’s plus-30 run differential is actually superior to the Twins’ (plus-28). In fact, the Yankees (plus-101) and Astros (plus-45) are the only AL squads with better run differentials as of early June.
Cleveland is scheduled to send lefty Konnor Pilkington to the mound in Thursday’s series opener.
Pilkington has only pitched in six career MLB games, including three starts. His strikeout rate of around 29 percent is quite impressive, but he’s also walked nearly 13 percent of those he’s faced so far this season.
Pilkington was dominant in his last start, as he struck out eight Royals while scattering five hits over the course of five innings. Oakland’s lineup so far this season has a sub-.300 wOBA against left-handed pitching, which ranks among the lowest in baseball.
Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Guardians MLB Game Pick
The odds say the A’s should be overmatched in this one, and it’s hard to disagree. Kaprielian has really struggled to begin the year, while Pilkington draws a stellar matchup against an extremely punchless Oakland offense.
The Guardians don’t offer much value at -180 on the moneyline, but I do like the +115 odds you can get on Cleveland to win this one by at least two runs. Covering the runline is typically tricky, but the risk is baked into those plus-money odds.
Oakalnd Athletics vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Recap
- Moneyline: Athletics +155, Guardians -180
- Runline: Athletics +1.5 (-135), Guardians -1.5 (+115)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 runs (-110), Under 8.5 runs (-110)
- Pick: Guardians -1.5 (+115)
