The MLB betting action goes on with a 15-game card on Friday, July 1, 2022, including the opening clash of a three-game American League series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, so we bring you the best Yankees vs. Guardians betting pick and odds. 

Back in April, the Yankees swept a three-game home set against the Guardians. New York is a heavy -201 road fave for Friday’s opener in Cleveland, while the Guardians are listed as +184 moneyline underdogs with a total of 7.5 runs on BetOnline Sportsbook.  

The Yankees swept the A’s to extend their dominance                                          

The 56-20 New York Yankees’ Thursday night clash against the Houston Astros has been excluded from the analysis. The Yanks searched for their fifth straight victory after opening a week with a three-game series sweep of the lowly Oakland Athletics. They boasted the best record in baseball, sitting atop of the AL East 13 games above their closest rivals, the Boston Red Sox. 

Gerrit Cole will toe the rubber Friday at Progressive Field and meet the Guardians for the second time in 2022. He earned a win in a 10-2 thrashing of Cleveland on April 24, firing 6.2 scoreless frames and striking out nine. 

Cole is 6-2 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 15 starts (87.1 innings) this season. The 31-year-old righty took a tough loss in a 3-0 defeat to the Astros this past Saturday, allowing one earned runs on four hits through seven frames of work.  

The Guardians shoot for their third straight W          

The Cleveland Guardians outlasted the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Thursday afternoon to clinch a five-game home series and improve to 39-34 on the season. They occupied the second spot in the AL Central, only one game behind the Twins. 

Aaron Civale will toe the slab Friday and face the Yankees for the second time this season. The 27-year-old righty pitched three innings in that heavy loss at Yankee Stadium on April 24. He was charged for a loss after yielding six earned runs on seven hits and a walk. 

Civale is 2-4 with a terrible 7.20 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in nine starts (40 frames) in 2022. Last Sunday, Aaron took a loss in an 8-3 defeat to the Boston Red Sox, surrendering three earned runs on eight hits and three free passes across four innings of work. 

Trends:

NY Yankees: 

  • 16-4 in the last 20 games overall  
  • 6-1 in the last seven road games against Cleveland 

Cleveland:

  • 3-6 in the last nine games overall 
  • 4-11 in the last 15 games against the Yankees    

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians Pick 

Gerrit Cole has allowed only two runs in his last three starts. The current Guardians have just 11 hits in 73 at-bats against Cole, and Cleveland has recorded an awful .212/.290/.301 slash line in its previous eight outings. Hereof, I’m backing the visitors to win even though the Yankees have a miserable .159 batting average in their last six contests. 

Aaron Civale is far away from his top form, and the Yankees could easily find their groove in this matchup. Furthermore, the Guardians’ bullpen has registered a disastrous 6.69 ERA and 6.16 FIP in its last 36.1 frames of work. 

Pick: Take New York Yankees at -201                                  

The Total:

I lean toward the over on the totals, although both teams have struggled a lot at the dish in the last ten days. Aaron Civale will be a key factor. The current Yankees have 21 hits in 74 at-bats against him, so I’m expecting the visitors to score a few runs early in this game. 

If Cleveland’s bullpen continues to struggle, we could easily see a proper high-scoring affair. The Yankees lead the majors in home runs with 126, though their bullpen has accounted for a microscopic 0.91 ERA over the last ten days and 29.2 frames of work. 

Pick: Go over 7.5 runs at -120