Factory of Sadness' Best Cleveland Betting Picks for 8/4 (Guardians Bounce Back, Browns Trending Up)
By Tyler Maher
It's been a rough week for the Guardians, but at least the Browns gave us something to cheer about during last night's Hall of Fame Game! If you've been reading our preseason coverage then you know we were already pretty high on the Browns, but now we're feeling even better about them and have some optimistic betting picks to consider.
As for the Guardians, they're actually in a good spot to bounce back today at home, so let's try to pounce on that while we're at it.
Here are the Factory of Sadness editors' top Cleveland sports betting picks for Friday.
Best Cleveland Bets: August 4, 2023
Tyler Maher: Guardians Moneyline vs. White Sox
The Astros gave us a tough time this week, but we’re in a much better position to earn a win on Friday when the White Sox come to town.
Chicago just got swept as well, but the main difference is that the White Sox are 24 games under .500. The Guardians are only three under .500 and just two games out of first in the AL Central, so we still have plenty to play for. We’re also coming off a rest day, which should give us a boost.
Logan Allen toes the rubber for Cleveland tonight. He’s 4-4 with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP but has shown signs of hitting the rookie wall lately, giving up 10 runs over his last two starts combined. That includes his most recent outing in Chicago last week, when he got dinged for 5 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings.
The White Sox are rolling with Mike Clevinger, whose numbers are nearly identical to Allen’s. He’s 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 13 starts. Clevinger’s also been really good lately, going 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA over his last five starts – two of which came against the Guardians.
Interesting pitching matchup aside, I’m backing the better team to win tonight. Cleveland is 28-24 at home, while Chicago’s been abysmal (20-38) on the road.
Isaiah De Los Santos: Browns Moneyline vs. Commanders
What a win last night! It’s only the first game of the preseason, but there were some encouraging signs from the Browns on Thursday, especially with rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson looking legit. After that comeback victory, I’m feeling confident enough to target Cleveland’s next exhibition.
Kevin Stefanski’s squad had a laundry list of inactives for the Hall of Fame Game on both sides of the ball, with the likes of Deshaun Watson, Amari Cooper, Nick Chubb, Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson all sitting out. Even some backups were given the night off, like RB Jerome Ford and WR Jakeem Grant Sr. Despite missing all that talent, the Browns were still able to pull out the win.
There’s a good chance we see some of Thursday’s non-participants suit up next Friday against the Commanders. Meanwhile, Washington will only just be starting its preseason schedule, putting them a week behind Cleveland in terms of evaluating their roster.
Even if the big names are out once again, the performance of the Browns' reserves against the Jets shows they can win no matter the circumstances.
Jason Schandl: Browns OVER 9.5 Regular Season Wins
Since NFL season is officially here, let’s look at the Browns for Friday’s betting action.
I’m not going to tell you that last night’s win means we’re Super Bowl contenders (we are) or that Dorian Thompson-Robinson is the best QB in the AFC North not named Deshaun Watson (is he?), but there are plenty of reasons to back Cleveland this year anyway.
You’ve heard it from me before when looking at backing the Browns to win the AFC North, but defense will be the core of this team. With Myles Garrett finally having other talented players around him he’s going to win Defensive Player of the Year as the backbone of one of the league’s best defenses.
And now Deshaun Watson has shaken off the rust. Most of his weapons are returning and have had time to build chemistry with him, and early returns from training camp make it look like Watson and Elijah Moore have been playing together their entire lives.
This isn’t the first time there’s been offseason hype around Cleveland lately, but it’s the first time that the hype has had such firm legs to stand on. It’s not just flashy new additions we’re hoping will carry the team over the top, either -- there’s more substance to the hype than ever.
This is absolutely a 10-win team, and getting plus money on that is gravy.
If you bet on the Browns at DraftKings, you'll also cash in with a huge bonus. New users who sign up with the exclusive Factory of Sadness link below will automatically get a $150 bonus just for placing their first $5 wager. You don't even need to wait until the NFL season to find out if the bet wins or loses -- you'll still get your bonus immediately!
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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