The Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees will go head-to-head on Friday in Game 2 of the ALDS.
This game was originally scheduled for Thursday but got postponed due to rain. It will be interesting to see how these teams respond after the change in schedule.
New York sits in the driver’s seat after winning on Tuesday. However, this Guardians ball club has been no stranger to upsetting the odds all season long.
The first pitch is scheduled for 1:07 PM EST on Friday, October 14th, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Let’s take a look at the Guardians vs. Yankees betting odds and MLB predictions.
MLB Teams’ Previous Records
The Guardians are entering must-win territory after dropping Game 1. Sure, technically, they can still lose up to two more games in the series. But going down 0-2 against the Yankees is a death sentence.
New York smells blood in the water. But Shane Bieber will have something to say about that on Friday.
AL Wild Card Series
Prior to Tuesday’s 4-1 Yankees win, New York hadn’t played in a week. Meanwhile, Cleveland had swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card Series.
But the Guardians’ offense was unable to get things going despite playing far more recently than New York on Tuesday. We will see if they can get the bats going against Nestor Cortes in Game 2.
Let’s take a closer look at the Guardians vs. Yankees betting odds.
Guardians vs. Yankees Matchup Information
- Time: 1:07 PM (ET)
- Venue: Yankee Stadium
- How to Watch: TBS
Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees Betting Analysis
The Yankees are favored to win on Friday. But New York has endured their share of struggles in reference to covering the run line.
Their bullpen question marks will certainly provide Cleveland with a chance to upset the run line, at the very least.
The Guardians have enjoyed plenty of success when playing as an underdog. Their pesky lineup and impressive pitching staff have what it takes to shock opponents. The Guardians also played teams over .500 well in 2022.
But the Yankees took care of business on Tuesday. Gerrit Cole pitched a heck of a game despite laboring through the first few innings. Cleveland got runners on base but failed to come through.
From a betting perspective, the Guardians’ upset potential will be determined by their offensive output on Friday.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians were unable to come through on offense in Game 1 of this series. They were able to get runners on base but lacked that big hit.
Their lone run came via a very unlikely source. Leadoff Steven Kwan blasted a Gerrit Cole offering over the right field fence to give the Guardians an early lead in Game 1. But the Yankees went on to win after scoring four unanswered runs.
Cleveland should be able to finally score a few more runs against Nestor Cortes in Game 2. Cortes is a great pitcher, but he tends to give up contact.
Cleveland thrives when putting the ball on the play due to their constant hustle.
Shane Bieber as Starting Pitcher
Pitching-wise, Shane Bieber will take the ball for Terry Francona and Cleveland in this crucial affair.
Bieber is fresh off of an outing that saw him go 7.2 innings of 1-run ball against the Rays. However, the Yankees’ lineup is a more dangerous unit than that of Tampa Bay’s.
Nevertheless, Bieber can display his ace prowess with a strong outing against NY on Friday. Cleveland needs their best starting pitcher to step up and keep them in this contest.
Otherwise, Cleveland may not get past the ALDS. A strong outing from Bieber and a bounce-back effort on offense will get the job done for the Guardians.
New York Yankees
The Yankees got the job done in Game 1. Some people wondered how they would perform following a week-long layoff.
After starting slow, New York heated up and did enough to get the win. Harrison Bader ignited the scoring with a solo shot off of Cal Quantrill. Anthony Rizzo later homered to cement the Yankees’ lead.
Cole ended up pitching 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts. His effort is even more impressive when you consider the fact he threw over 60 pitches in just three innings. He seemed destined to hit the showers early, heading into the fourth.
But the New York ace found his rhythm and gave Aaron Boone a few more tremendous innings. The Yankees enter Tuesday with a rested bullpen which will suit them well.
Nestor Cortes as Pitcher
Nestor Cortes is a star pitcher, but this matchup against the Guardians doesn’t bode too well for him. Cleveland likely won’t light him up, but they might make life tough on him.
We discussed how the Guardians need a great starting pitching outing and an offensive rebound. For the Yankees, they need a great relief effort in Game 2. This game will be decided by how the Yankees’ relief core performs.
Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees Betting Prediction
After reviewing the Guardians vs. Yankees betting odds and analysis, which team should you roll with in Game 2?
I like Cleveland as an underdog pick. They should be able to cover the run line behind ace Shane Bieber. Go ahead and take the Cleveland Guardians -1.5 in this game.
MLB Pick: Guardians +1.5 (-175)
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