The Cleveland Guardians (19-9) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (9-19) on Tuesday, April 30th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on None. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Guardians are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 8:10 ET.
Guardians vs Astros
The Guardians wrapped up their series vs. the Braves with a 4-3 loss on the road. Cleveland was the +136 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Guardians, as they got on the board with a run in the 3rd inning but gave up the lead right away as the Braves scored in the bottom of the third.
Cleveland started Ben Lively, and he took the loss, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. The Guardians’s offense scored their other two runs in the 5th but didn’t have any other big innings. Brayan Rocchio was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with two RBIs and a run scored. The Guardians also had three other players with two hits.
Cleveland’s Guardians will be on the road today vs. the Astros with an overall record of 19-9, good for 1st place in the AL Central. They lead the Tigers by three games heading into today’s matchup. The Guardians have gone 4-1 in divisional games this season.
The Guardians have been really good at home this year, putting up an 8-4 record. They have been even better on the road, going 11-5 this season. So far, they have been really good in day games, going 9-3. Cleveland dropped the final game of their series with the Braves but still took the series, and they are 7-2 in series this year.
Despite a run line record of 19-9, the Cleveland Guardians have been even better against the run line on the road, where they are 11-5. Their average run margin is +1.6 runs per game, and they have been particularly profitable as the underdog, going 10-2 against the run line in those games. They have covered the run line in two straight games and have an average run margin of +2.3 runs per game on the road.
With an over/under line of 9.5 runs, the Cleveland Guardians have had just one game this season with a higher line, and that game went under. The Guardians have played to the under in three straight games, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season. Cleveland’s over/under record is 15-11 on the season, and their games have had an average line of 8 runs.
Carlos Carrasco Gets The Start For The Guardians
Carlos Carrasco will be on the mound for the Guardians as they take on the Astros. This will be Carrasco’s second road start of the season, and he is coming off a loss in his last outing, where he gave up 4 earned runs over 5 innings. He did pick up a win in his first road start, going 5 2/3 innings and striking out 5.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Jose Ramirez has been on a tear of late for the Guardians, hitting .333 over his last seven games with two homers and seven RBIs. Overall, he is batting .261 with a team-high 24 RBIs. Ramirez’s eight-game hitting streak is the longest on the team. Steven Kwan has also been swinging a hot bat, going 10/32 in his last eight games, and he is batting .339 for the season.
Josh Naylor and Jose Ramirez have been the Guardians’ top power threats so far, with Naylor’s six homers leading the team and Ramirez right behind him with five. Naylor’s 21 RBIs are 2nd on the team, and he is 8th in the league in that category. As a team, the Guardians are 5th in the league in scoring at 5.1 runs per game.
The Astros’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Rockies, closing out their series with an 8-2 win. After scoring two runs in the 1st inning, the Astros added another two runs in the 2nd. Houston went on to add another four runs in the 4th inning.
Framber Valdez got the start for the Astros, going five innings and giving up just two runs on five hits. He only had two strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
Houston’s overall record is 9-19 heading into today’s matchup vs. the Guardians. The Astros have won two straight games, closing out their series vs. the Rockies with two wins. In the AL West, they are 6.5 games behind the Mariners for the division lead.
So far, the Astros are 4-3 against other AL West teams. At home, they are just 4-9 this year compared to 5-10 on the road. As the favorite, the Astros are 7-16 this year and 2-3 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 3-5-1.
When the Astros win, they win big. Their average run margin in wins is 5.7 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.8 runs per game. Houston is 10-18 against the run line this season, including a 5-8 mark at home. They have covered the run line in two straight games as the favorite, but are just 3-2 against the run line as the underdog.
The Astros have seen their games go under the total in seven straight contests, and their over/under record for the season is just 8-18. The over/under line for today’s game against the Guardians is set at 9.5 runs, which is right in line with their season average of 9.5 runs per game. So far this season, only 28.6% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9.5 runs or lower, and their record in those games is 1-4.
Hunter Brown Gets The Start For The Astros
Hunter Brown will be making his 4th start of the season for the Astros, and he will be at home against the Cleveland Guardians. Brown has taken the loss in each of his first 3 starts, with his most recent outing coming against the Nationals. In that game, he went 4 innings, giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 6.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are the league’s top home run hitting team, and they have done so while also posting the league’s best strikeout numbers. Overall, they are batting .264 as a team, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. Houston’s team on-base percentage of .329 is also 5th in the league. The Astros have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game.
Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez are both batting over .275 for the season and are tied for the team lead with seven home runs apiece. Kyle Tucker is also batting .290 and is 9th in the league with 20 RBIs. Tucker has gone 11/30 in his last eight games, including two homers and five RBIs. Jeremy Pena is also swinging a hot bat right now, with a batting average of .300 in his last eight games.
Guardians vs Astros Prediction
Our prediction for this Guardians vs. Astros matchup is to take the Astros on the money line at -146. We actually have the Astros winning this one by a score of 6-5, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 9.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Carlos Carrasco is projected to finish with five strikeouts, while Astros starter Hunter Brown is projected to finish with five as well. However, we have Brown finishing with a better chance of picking up the win compared to Carrasco.
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 30, 2024 Astros, Guardians