Red Sox vs. Guardians Prediction and Odds for Friday, June 24 (Can Nick Pivetta Keep This Pace Going?)
By Ben Heisler
Two of the hottest teams in the American League match up when the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians match up at Progressive Field.
Both teams are 8-2 in their last 10 games, with the Red Sox winners of four straight. The Guardians had been cruising along; moving to the top of the AL Central before losing 1-0 to the Minnesota Twins Thursday afternoon.
The pitching matchup is a good one. Right-hander Nick Pivetta looks to continue his dominant resurgence since early May for the Red Sox against fellow righty Cal Quantrill.
Here are the latest odds for Friday's matchup in Cleveland courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Red Sox vs. Guardians Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line:
- Red Sox -1.5 (+140)
- Guardians +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline:
- Red Sox -117
- Guardians +107
Total:
- 9 (OVER +100 | UNDER -120)
Red Sox vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick
I lean Boston here as Pivetta comes in with more impressive numbers overall than his counterpart.
The 29-year old Red Sox starter's turnaround has been eye-opening. Since May 7, he's put up a 1.77 ERA through his last nine starts after owning an ERA just under 8 through his first five of the season. After giving up four home runs in his first three starts, he's only allowed four home runs total in his last 11 games; finding himself in historic company with his recent stretch.
Nick Pivetta is 7-1 with a 1.77 ERA in his last 9 starts (61.0 IP, 61 SO, .163 AVG).
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) June 19, 2022
The only other Red Sox in the last 50 years to throw 60+ innings, strike out 60+ batters, and post an ERA that low in a 9-start span are Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Chris Sale & Jon Lester.
Meanwhile, Quantrill has also had a solid year, but there could be some slight regression coming. He enters Friday night with a 3.77 ERA, but with an ERA of 4.37 expected ERA (xERA) via Fangraphs. Quantrill also does not miss many bats, averaging just 5.53 strikeouts per nine innings, while seeing his fastball dip from an average of 94.6 mph last year, to just 93 mph in 2022.
I'm invested in the Guardians at every futures bet on the board: division (+450), AL Pennant (40/1), and World Series (100/1), but for this particular matchup, Boston has the edge at a very reasonable number.
LEAN: Red Sox ML -117
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