The Cleveland Guardians (20-10) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (10-20) on Thursday, May 2nd. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on None. The Guardians are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Guardians. First pitch is set for 8:10 ET.
Guardians vs Astros
Cleveland picked up a 3-2 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a two-run 5th inning and scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 10th. As for the Astros, they scored their only two runs in the 6th. Heading into the game, the Guardians were at +154 on the money line.
Triston McKenzie started for the Guardians and went seven innings while giving up two runs and striking out six. He picked up a win in the game, while Emmanuel Clase closed things out. Justin Verlander got the start for the Astros, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs.
Will Brennan and Steven Kwan each had two hits and scored a run for the Guardians’ offense. David Fry also had a two-hit game. For the Astros, Kyle Tucker hit a home run, while Mauricio Dubon went 2/4.
Cleveland is on the road today vs. the Astros, with the Guardians leading the AL Central with a record of 20-10. They hold a two-game lead over the Royals for the division lead. So far, they have been good vs. other teams in the AL Central, going 4-1. The Guardians have been good on the road this year, putting together a record of 12-6.
The Guardians have been playing well in day games this year, going 10-3, and they are currently 7-2 in series this year. As for how they have fared as the underdog, they are 9-5 and 11-5 as the favorite. Cleveland’s overall record is made up of a 6-4 mark in their last ten games.
When playing on the road, the Cleveland Guardians have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 21-9 overall. They have been particularly strong as the underdog, going 12-2 against the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.6, while their average run margin in losing games is -2.7.
Despite the Cleveland Guardians’ games having an average combined run total of 8.8, their over/under record is 16-12, and their average over/under line is 8 runs. The Guardians’ games have had over/under lines set at 9.5 runs only once this season, and that game went under. Overall, 96.7% of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s 9.5-run total.
Logan Allen Gets The Start For The Guardians
Cleveland is sending Logan Allen to the mound today vs. the Astros, and he comes into the game with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 5.46. In his six starts, Allen has made just one quality start and is averaging 7.47 strikeouts per nine innings. Allen’s most recent outing came vs. the Braves, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Allen has given up at least one homer in three straight outings.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Steven Kwan has been on a tear for the Guardians, hitting .360 for the season and batting .393 over his last seven games. During this stretch, he has one home run and four RBIs. Kwan is 4th on the team with three homers. Josh Naylor and Jose Ramirez are tied for the team lead in RBIs, with 24 apiece. Naylor’s seven home runs is 4th in the league and the most on the team.
As a team, the Guardians are 5th in the league in runs scored, averaging 5.2 per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Cleveland is also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts, as they are 4th in the league in this category.
Houston is hosting the Guardians today with an overall record of 10-20, which puts them 5th in the AL West. They trail the Mariners by 6.5 games in the division. So far, they are 4-3 in divisional matchups. The Astros are looking to pick up a win at home, where they are just 5-10 this year.
The Astros have the same record on the road, going 5-10. So far, they have really struggled in day games, going 3-8 this year. As the favorite, the Astros are 8-17 and 2-3 as the underdog. Houston’s overall series record is 3-5-1, and they are just 4-6 over their last 10 games.
When the Astros win, they win big. They have an average run margin of +5.2 in their victories, but when they lose, they lose by an average of -3.7 runs per game. Their run line record is 10-20, and they are 5-10 against the run line at home and 5-10 against the run line on the road. As the favorite, they are 7-18 against the run line, while they are 3-2 as the underdog.
With a combined run average of 9.7 runs per game, the Houston Astros have seen their games go over the 9.5 run line in just one of their five games with that line this season. Overall, the Astros have gone under the total in 19 of their 28 games this season.
Spencer Arrighetti Gets The Start For The Astros
Spencer Arrighetti is getting the start for the Astros today as they take on the Cleveland Guardians. Arrighetti has had a tough start to the season, as he has taken the loss in each of his first two outings. In his most recent start, he gave up 4 runs over 3 2/3 innings, and in his first start, he allowed 2 earned runs over 4 innings.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are 3rd in the league in home runs and have the 3rd best team batting average in the league at .263. They are also the top strikeout team in the league and have been very patient at the plate, as they are 6th in on-base percentage. Overall, they are averaging 4.5 runs per game, but at home, they are averaging 4.9 runs per contest.
Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker have been two of the Astros’ top power threats this season, with Altuve batting .341 with seven homers, and Tucker is hitting .298 with a team-high eight homers. Tucker has gone deep three times in his last ten games, while Altuve has two homers in that stretch. Tucker is also on a seven-game hitting streak.
Guardians vs Astros Prediction
Our prediction for this one is that the Astros will pick up a 6-5 win, giving us a good amount of wiggle room to take them on the money line, where the payout is currently at -133.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Spencer Arrighetti has a better chance of picking up a win than Logan Allen. We have Arrighetti going 5th among starters in terms of strikeouts, and Allen is all the way at the bottom.
Offensively, we have the Astros finishing with the second most hits in the league today, and the Guardians coming in at fifth. The Guardians are also projected to finish with the sixth most 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.
Last updated:May 2, 2024 Astros, Guardians