Factory of Sadness' Best Cleveland Betting Picks for 8/2 (Guardians Bounce Back From No-Hitter)
By Tyler Maher
The less we say about the Guardians, the better. Not only did they let us down at the trade deadline, but they also got no-hit by the Astros last night. Ouch.
Fortunately, they have a chance to redeem themselves today with another game against Houston. There are plenty of other betting options as well, so here are the Factory of Sadness editors' top Cleveland sports betting picks for Wednesday.
Best Cleveland Bets: August 2, 2023
Tyler Maher: Guardians Moneyline @ Astros
There's no other way to say it: last night was rough. Losing to the Astros is never fun, but it’s even worse when they totally embarrass you.
The Guardians will try to salvage the series finale and avoid the sweep this afternoon. Our bats need to wake up, though, after scoring just 3 runs over the last two games combined.
We usually have a chance when Tanner Bibee is on the mound, at least. The 24-year-old rookie is 7-2 with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP and a 9.1 K/9 in 16 starts so far. Cleveland is also 7-1 in his last eight outings.
Houston hasn’t named a starter yet, as its rotation is now in flux following the trade for Justin Verlander yesterday.
It’s tough to make a strong prediction for this game without knowing who’s pitching for the Astros, but we’ll take our chances with Bibee. He’s 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA over his last six starts while holding opponents to a .524 OPS. If anyone can shut down Houston’s lineup, it’s him.
Isaiah De Los Santos: Guardians To Miss Playoffs
The Guardians’ moves at the MLB Trade Deadline made it clear that this team isn’t contending in 2023. The club opted to sell off three key veterans in Aaron Civale, Amed Rosario and Josh Bell, all with an eye on the future.
Cleveland will now adopt a youth movement and use the remaining weeks of the regular season to evaluate its next crop of contributors. While that’s a great forward-thinking move to set this team up for 2024 and beyond, it’s going to lead to some rough performances down the stretch.
Just look at last night. when we didn't even manage a single hit.
The bad news is that it won’t get any easier for the Guardians down the stretch. They own the sixth-toughest remaining strength of schedule across the majors with a combined 17 games coming up against three AL East contenders in the Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays.
As much as it pains me to say this, Cleveland’s chances of making the playoffs have likely evaporated. Though that’s a sad reality, a potential payday could make that pill a little easier to swallow. It’s worth sprinkling some money on the Guardians to miss the postseason before these odds decline even further.
Jason Schandl: Twins Moneyline @ Cardinals
With the Guardians fading fast, now is the time for the Twins to build an insurmountable lead in the AL Central, and I don’t see them having much trouble doing so.
Minnesota has Joe Ryan on the mound tonight, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s been kind of underrated this season. His 4.06 ERA is fine, but he’s averaging 10.92 strikeouts against just 1.77 walks per nine innings, while his xFIP (3.67) and skill-interactive ERA (3.35) both highlight just how well he’s pitching.
The Cardinals are trotting out a mediocre Dakota Hudson (4.19 ERA, 4.76 xFIP, 4.78 SIERA), and the Twins rank No. 8 in the majors in wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season.
Motivation in Minnesota's locker room has to be high with visible blood in the water in Cleveland, and I don’t see our rivals letting this opportunity slip.
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