Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Guardians MLB Betting Prediction

MLB Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction 8/12/2024

The Chicago Cubs (59-60) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (69-49) on Monday, August 12th. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on MARQ. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.

Cubs vs. Guardians Betting Prediction

  • Money Line Prediction: Guardians (+100)
  • Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
  • In their last 15 games, the Guardians have scored 5 or more runs in 8 games, showcasing a strong offensive performance.
  • The Guardians have a home record of 35-20, indicating a strong home-field advantage.
  • In their last 15 home games, the Guardians have won 6 games, demonstrating solid recent performance at home.
  • The Guardians have outscored their opponents by a total of 15 runs in their last 15 games, indicating effective run production and defense.
  • The Guardians have won 4 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record, showing they can compete against strong opponents.

Cubs vs Guardians

chicago cubs nba

The Cubs Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into their last game vs. the White Sox, the Cubs closed out the series with a 3-1 win. Leading up to the game, they were the heavy favorite at -227. Offensively, the Cubs scored their three runs on nine hits and didn’t hit a home run.

Justin Steele got the start for the Cubs, going six innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out eight White Sox batters. Miguel Amaya was hot at the plate, going 2/4 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. The Cubs also had three other players with two hits.

Chicago has a 59-60 overall record and is currently 3rd in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by nine games. The Cubs are on a four-game winning streak, heading into today’s game against the Guardians. Their over/under record for games with an 8-run total is 5-14-1, and this season, 52.1% of their games have had over/under lines higher than 8 runs.

Against the run line, the Cubs are 58-61, with a 35-25 record on the road and 43-21 as underdogs. Chicago’s average run margin is 0.1 for the season, but it increases to 0.5 at home. Overall, the Cubs are 27-33 on the road and 32-27 at home.

Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs

Through 21 starts, Shota Imanaga has a record of 9-2 and an ERA of 3.06. He has made 13 quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he gave up just two earned runs in seven innings of work. In that outing, he picked up the win and had 10 strikeouts. Imanaga has been pitching well as of late, as he has not taken a loss in his last three outings. The last time he was charged with a loss was on July 16th. The right-hander has a WHIP of 1.05 and is averaging 9.34 strikeouts per nine innings.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .236, and their team on-base percentage of .311 is 11th in the league. The Cubs have been good at drawing walks this season and are 8th in the league in that category.

Chicago’s top power hitter this season has been Ian Happ, who has 19 homers, which is 13th in the league. Happ’s 65 RBIs are the most on the team. However, he is batting just .229 for the season. Isaac Paredes is 2nd on the team in RBIs (63) and has 18 homers, but he is also batting just .240. Nico Hoerner is batting .256 for the season and has 35 RBIs.

The Guardians Are Coming Off A Win

The Guardians wrapped up their series vs. the Twins with a 5-3 win on the road. Cleveland was the slight favorite at -101 on the money line going into the game. It was a four-run 6th inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Twins could only score two runs, both of which came in the 8th.

Tanner Bibee put together a good start for the Guardians, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Cleveland’s offense was carried by José Ramírez, who went 2/5 with a homer and two RBIs.

Today’s game between the Guardians and Cubs has an O/U line of 8 runs, which is slightly below their average of 8.5 runs per game. Cleveland’s O/U record for games with an 8-run line is 10-9-4. The Guardians are 35-20 at home and lead the AL Central with a 69-49 overall record.

As the underdog, the Guardians are 21-24 this season and 26-19 on the run line. Their overall run line record is 58-60, and they have covered the run line in two straight games. Cleveland’s series record is 22-11-5, but they have struggled recently with a 3-7 record in their last ten games.

Ben Lively Gets The Start For The Guardians

Ben Lively gets the start for the Guardians today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss. Against the Diamondbacks on August 7th, he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back further, Lively had picked up the win in two straight outings before that rough outing vs. the Diamondbacks. For the season, he has made 20 starts, has a record of 10-7, and his ERA is 3.59. Opposing batters are hitting .225 off Lively this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.5 strikeouts and 2.77 walks.

Guardians Offense Breakdown

cleveland guardians

Jose Ramirez is having a strong season for the Guardians, as his 31 homers are 3rd in the league and the most on the team. Ramirez also has the 2nd best batting average on the team at .280. He has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 5/21 in his last five games with two homers. Josh Naylor is also among the league leaders in homers, as his 26 long balls are 7th in the MLB. Naylor is batting .246 for the season.

As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game and have been a better offensive team at home. They are 9th in home runs and have the 4th fewest strikeouts in the league. Currently, Naylor, Steven Kwan, and Will Brennan are all on three-game hitting streaks.

Cubs vs Guardians Prediction

Our predicted score for this one is 6-5 in favor of the Guardians, and with them having a money line of +100, that is the way we recommend playing this one.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Ben Lively is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is the second-lowest among starters. As for the Cubs starter, Shota Imanaga, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which has him in the middle of the pack.

Offensively, the Guardians are projected to have a better day at the plate than the Cubs, and if you’re looking for a final score, we have the Cubs finishing with five runs.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.