Orioles vs Guardians: Expect the Home Team to Have a Big Night
On Saturday at Progressive Field, the Baltimore Orioles young stars face off against fellow playoff hopeful Cleveland Guardians in one of the better MLB matchups of the evening. The oddsmakers at BetUS Sportsbook list the visiting Orioles at -134 with a total of 8.0 runs juiced to the Over (-120).
The mound matchup will feature Baltimore’s John Means (0-1, 3.60) and Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.26).
Here’s everything you need to make your best MLB picks for the Orioles-Guardians showdown on Saturday.
Cleveland Looks To Play Spoiler
The Orioles enter in a spot that nobody expected and lead the AL East by 1.5 games over the Tampa Bay Rays. With one week left in the season, the division is Baltimore’s to lose.
On the other hand, Cleveland is already eliminated from the playoffs along with every other team in the weak AL Central other than the Minnesota Twins, who make the playoffs by default for winning the division. The best Cleveland can do now is to knock the Orioles into second place.
On the face of things, Means is the better arm in this matchup. But Quantrill waited until it didn’t matter to have his best month of the season with a 1.90 ERA in September. His K/BB ratio of 13/8 isn’t great, but he’s limiting runs, and that’s all that really matters for our MLB bet on this game.
Cal Quantrill: No Glove, No Problem. pic.twitter.com/tqKlT080jF
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2023
Quantrill also has decent numbers against the Orioles, with a .237 average against their current lineup in 59 all-time plate appearances.
Regarding Means, the Orioles are happy to have the lefty back on the roster after missing all but his previous two starts due to injury. Means is a much better pitcher on paper, but his return to action hasn’t been without issues. The Orioles are 0-2 against the MLB spread in his first two starts, and Means’ control has been an issue, with a K/BB rate of 1/3 in his previous start.
Moreover, the Orioles may have the best overall ATS baseball betting record in the league at 92-62, but they have struggled on the road of late with a 4-6 mark in their last 10 away games. The Guardians, meanwhile, are 3-2 ATS in their last five home games.
The Orioles will eventually win the division, but not without drama, after losing on Saturday as favorites on the MLB Las Vegas odds.
MLB Best Bet: Cleveland Guardians +124 ML
Orioles vs Guardians Betting Lines
Orioles vs Guardians Game Information
• Game: Orioles vs Guardians
• Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
• Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 23, 6:10 p.m. ET
• Orioles vs Guardians Live Stream: MLB.tv
