The Cleveland Guardians (19-8) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (18-7) on Sunday, April 28th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on BSSO. The Guardians are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Braves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Guardians. First pitch is set for 1:35 ET.
Guardians vs Braves
Cleveland picked up a 4-2 road win over the Braves in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a two-run lead heading into the 8th inning and the Braves could only muster two runs in the bottom of the 11th. Heading into the game, the Guardians were at +147 on the money line.
Tanner Bibee started for the Guardians and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with nine strikeouts but didn’t issue a walk. On the other side, Charlie Morton got the start for the Braves and went seven innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs.
Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan, and Andres Gimenez each had two hits and an RBI for the Guardians’ offense. Marcell Ozuna did the most damage for the Braves, going 2/3 with a home run and three RBIs.
Cleveland leads the AL Central with a record of 19-8, and they hold a 2.5-game lead over the Royals. The Guardians have been really good at home, going 8-4, and they have been even better on the road, putting together an 11-4 record. This season, they have been really good in day games, going 10-2.
The Guardians have won three straight series, and they are 7-1 in series matchups this year. Cleveland won the most recent game of this series vs. the Braves. This year, they are 11-5 as the favorite and 8-3 as the underdog.
When playing on the road, the Cleveland Guardians have been a solid bet on the run line, going 10-5. Their average run differential away from home is +2.5, and their overall run line record is 18-9. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 9-2 against the run line.
The Cleveland Guardians have an over/under record of 15-10 this season, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game against the Atlanta Braves is set at 9 runs. The Guardians have had just one game this season with an over/under line of 9 runs, and that game went under. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and their games have gone under in 96.3% of their games this season.
Ben Lively Gets The Start For The Guardians
Ben Lively and the Cleveland Guardians are on the road to take on the Braves. Lively has started two games this season, and he is coming off a loss to the Red Sox in his last start. In that game, he went 5 innings and gave up 2 earned runs, striking out 7.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Over his last eight games, Josh Naylor has gone just 8/34 at the plate, but he does have two homers and nine RBIs during that stretch. Naylor is batting .295 for the season and is 5th in the league with six home runs. José Ramirez and Naylor are the top two power threats in the Cleveland lineup, as Ramirez is 3rd in the league with 24 RBIs and has five homers this season.
As a team, the Guardians are 6th in the league in scoring at 5.2 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Currently, the team has the 8th best home run total in the league and are among the league leaders in fewest strikeouts per game.
Atlanta’s overall record is 18-7 heading into today’s matchup vs. the Guardians, and they lead the NL East by 1.5 games over the Phillies. The Braves dropped the first game of this series vs. the Guardians after winning five straight spanning between their series vs. the Marlins and the first game of this series.
So far, the Braves have been really good vs. other NL East teams, going 8-4, and they are 10-4 at home compared to 8-3 on the road. This season, the Braves have yet to be the underdog in a game. Atlanta’s overall series record is 6-1-1, and they have won four straight series overall and two straight series on the road.
The Braves have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 13-12 overall. They have been especially good on the run line on the road, going 7-4. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.8, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.3.
Atlanta’s over/under record is 11-12 this season, and the average over/under line in their games is 9 runs. Their over/under record when the line is set at 9 runs is 2-3-1. The Braves have played in 10 games with over/under lines set higher than 9 runs, which accounts for 40% of their games. They have played in 9 games with over/under lines set lower than 9 runs, which accounts for 36% of their games. The under has hit in their last 5 games.
| Team | Opponent | CombinedRuns | OverUnder | OverUnderOutcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | Guardians | 6 | 8.5 | Under |
| Braves | Guardians | 8 | 8.5 | Under |
| Braves | Marlins | 7 | 9.0 | Under |
| Braves | Marlins | 5 | 8.5 | Under |
| Braves | Marlins | 3 | 9.5 | Under |
| Braves | Rangers | 10 | 10.0 | Push |
| Braves | Rangers | 7 | 9.0 | Under |
| Braves | Rangers | 11 | 9.5 | Over |
| Braves | Astros | 9 | 9.5 | Under |
| Braves | Astros | 8 | 9.5 | Under |
Bryce Elder Gets The Start For The Braves
Bryce Elder will be making his second start of the season for the Braves, coming off a strong outing against the Marlins in which he went 6 2/3 innings, allowing no runs and striking out 4. He gave up 8 hits and did not allow a home run in his first start.
Braves Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Braves are averaging 5.8 runs per game, which is the best mark in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 6.5 runs per game. Not only are the Braves leading the league in runs per game, but they also have the best team batting average in the league at .278. This has also translated to the league’s top on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.
Marcell Ozuna comes into the game with the league’s top batting average at .354, and he also leads the league with 31 RBIs. Ozuna has also gone deep nine times this season, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. He is currently on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 8/19 in his last six games. Michael Harris II is also on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .324 for the season.
Guardians vs Braves Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Guardians vs. Braves matchup is to take the Braves to pick up the win at home. However, with the Braves at -172 on the money line, we actually recommend taking the over, as we have this one finishing with a 6-5 win for the Braves.
Looking at some potential payouts, we have the Braves winning at 6-5, and with the over/under sitting at 9 runs, you could look to parlay a Braves win with the over. However, we actually have the Guardians’ payout at +145, so if you’re looking for a higher payout, you could take the Guardians and the over.
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.
Last updated:April 28, 2024 Braves, Guardians