Guardians Off to Franchise-Best Start, Host Red Sox
Sox vs Guardians Betting: Cleveland MLB-Best 16-6 ATS
MLB Injuries continue to mount for Boston. The Red Sox have overcome that issue to date, but time will tell if their lack of depth catches up to them.
Next up for the Red Sox is a three-game series against Cleveland that starts Tuesday (6:10 p.m. ET) at Progressive Field. The Guardians took three of four games from Boston last week at Fenway Park, outscoring the Red Sox by a combined 21-13.
Boston is currently a slight favorite at -114, with the Guardians commanding a price of +104. Tanner Houck, who tossed a complete-game shutout in his previous start, will pitch for the Red Sox. Cleveland will counter with Ben Lively. The total sits at eight.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down both MLB teams and assess the Sox vs Guardians betting odds in our MLB series preview.
Game 1
Sox vs Guardians 
Day/Time:
Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Streaming: NESN
Sox vs Guardians Betting Trends
The Boston Red Sox are 13-10 against the run line, including 4-1 over their last five games. Boston’s games have trended toward the Under, as the Red Sox are 10-12-1 against the Over/Under.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are an MLB-best 16-6 ATS, including 7-1 over their last eight games. As for the Over/Under, the Guardians are 14-7-1.
That is important to remember when assessing the Sox vs Guardians betting odds.
Issues Growing for Boston
Boston got back on track over the weekend, sweeping a series in Pittsburgh to improve to 13-10. The Red Sox outscored Pittsburgh 18-4 over the three games, covering the spread each time.
While the Red Sox remain in the thick of the American League East race, injuries continue to mount. First baseman Triston Casas (left rib strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, joining shortstop Trevor Story (shoulder). Casas sustained the injury during his first at-bat in Saturday’s 4-2 victory and left the game.
Casas has six home runs and 10 RBI in 22 games this season.
Boston is already dealing with injuries to multiple MLB players. Third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) and outfielder Tyler O’Neill (concussion) did not play during the weekend but could return Tuesday, according to manager Alex Cora. Meanwhile, Story is out long term.
The Red Sox remain longshots in the futures market, priced +3000 to win the AL and +6500 to win the World Series according to MLB odds.
Guardians Off to Roaring Start
Cleveland built on its early success, sweeping a three-game series from Oakland over the weekend. Winners of four straight and seven of their last eight games, the Guardians now sit atop the AL Central at 16-6. That marks the franchise’s best start since 1999.
The Guardians are also an MLB-best 16-6 ATS, having covered in 72.7% of their games. They have gone Over the total in 14 of those games or at a rate of 66.7%, the second-highest percentage in the majors behind Baltimore (68.4%). That’s important to remember when analyzing the Sox vs Guardians betting odds.
First baseman Josh Naylor has been a catalyst in Cleveland’s strong start, energizing the Guardians with a thunderous bat and vibrant personality.
He is hitting .325 with six home runs and 20 RBI, both team highs. Outfielder Steven Kwan is hitting .358, second among qualified batters behind Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani (.368). As a team, Cleveland ranks sixth in average (.257) and third in runs scored (124).
The Guardians have been relatively fortunate health-wise, but they did lose No. 1 starter Shane Bieber to a season-ending elbow injury. Bieber, who had thrown 12 scoreless innings to start the MLB season, is slated to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Cleveland is now a +120 favorite to win the AL Central and +1000 to win the pennant. Meanwhile, it is just +2800 to win the World Series, one of 13 teams with 30/1 championship odds or better.
Series Probables
âš¾ Game 1 âš¾
Tuesday, 6:10 p.m. ET
Tanner Houck vs Ben Lively
Houck has been nothing short of brilliant in the early going. He is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA. He needed only 94 pitches in his last start to throw a three-hit shutout against Cleveland, striking out nine.
Houck will again be opposite Lively, who limited the Red Sox to two runs on three hits over five innings. That was Lively’s first appearance of the season.
âš¾ Game 2 âš¾
Wednesday, 6:10 p.m. ET
TBA vs Carlos Carrasco
Carrasco owns a 3.44 ERA through four appearances with Cleveland. He picked up his first win of the season last Thursday, holding Boston to two runs over 5.2 innings in a 5-4 victory.
The Red Sox have yet to name a starter opposite Carrasco. Be sure to keep an eye out, as that can swing the MLB pitching matchups and odds.
âš¾ Game 3 âš¾
Thursday, 1:10 p.m, ET
Bryan Bello vs Triston McKenzie
Bello is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA through five starts. The 24-year-old right-hander is coming off his best outing, having thrown six shutout innings in an 8-1 victory over Pittsburgh last Friday.
He will face McKenzie, who is 2-2 with an ERA of 5.00. He held Oakland to one run on five innings in a 10-2 win last Friday.
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