The MLB betting action continues Saturday, July 2, with plenty of interesting markets to choose from, so we have prepared the best Yankees vs. Guardians betting pick along with the latest odds update on DraftKings New York Sportsbook.
The Yankees face off against the Guardians in the middle clash of a three-game set at Progressive Field in Cleveland. These two American League foes already met once in April, and the Yankees swept a three-game home series. The opener of this set has been excluded from the analysis.
The Yankees struggled to hit the Astros once again                                        Â
The New York Yankees started their ten-game road trip last Thursday. They met the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston and suffered a tough 2-1 defeat. It was the Yankees’ third loss to the Astros in the last seven days, and the Bombers have scored only a couple of runs over those three contests.
The 56-21 Yankees still owned the best record in the majors on Friday. Their offense has accounted for 69 runs in the last 14 games while slashing .203/.308/.420 with 26 home runs across 448 at-bats. On the other side of the ball, the Yankees have compiled a 3.56 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and .203 opposing batting average through 124 innings pitched in that span.
Nestor Cortes will toe the slab Saturday in Cleveland. The 27-year-old lefty hasn’t been at his best of late, allowing 12 runs in his previous four starts and 19 innings of work. Cortes still holds a firm 6-3 record, 2.51 ERA, and 0.99 WHIP in 2022 (14 starts, 79 innings).
The Guardians need more from their offense         Â
The Cleveland Guardians have gone 7-7 in their previous 14 games overall while slumping at the plate. They’ve hit only .224/.292/.342 with nine home runs across 473 at-bats, so the Guardians desperately need to get better in the Yankees series.
On the pitching side of things, the Guardians have amassed a 4.92 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and .279 batting average against in that 14-game stretch. Their bullpen has registered a pedestrian 5.14 ERA and 5.17 FIP across 49 innings, so the Guardians need to improve on the mound, too.
Triston McKenzie will toe the rubber Saturday and try to avoid another meltdown. The 24-year-old righty has allowed a thumping 13 earned runs on 17 hits over his previous two starts and 10.1 frames of work. McKenzie is 4-6 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 13 starts and one relief appearance (80.1 innings) this season.
Trends:
NY Yankees:
- 16-5 in the last 21 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
Nestor Cortes meets the Guardians for the second time in 2022. Back on April 23, the crafty lefty threw 6.1 innings of a two-run ball in a 5-4 victory over Cleveland but had to settle with a no-decision. Cortes looks to bounce back from a few rough outings, and the Guardians hold a poor 72 OPS+ versus the southpaws this season.
On the other side, Triston McKenzie has allowed a whopping ten home runs across five starts in June. The Yankees continue to hit homers almost at will, so give me the visitors at the moneyline odds.
Pick: Take New York Yankees at -152
The Total:
I’ve mentioned the Guardians’ recent struggle on both sides of the ball. If the Yankees’ bullpen continues to dominate (2.11 ERA in the last two weeks and 42.2 innings pitched), the Guardians will be in trouble.
On the other hand, Triston McKenzie could easily surrender a few more dingers, so the totals seem a tricky wager in this matchup. The visitors would be my best Yankees vs. Guardians betting pick for Saturday night.
Pick: Go over 8.0 runs at -110
