Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Predictions August 12th 2024

Cubs out to complete climb back to .500 vs. Guardians

Chicago comes into Monday’s interleague matchup vs. the Guardians with a record of 59-60. The Cubs have won four straight and are 3rd in the NL Central. Cleveland, meanwhile, is 1st in the AL Central with a record of 69-49 and they have won two straight. Ben Lively will start for the Guardians, and the Cubs are sending Shota Imanaga to the mound.

The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the Cubs are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -118 compared to the Guardians at +100. This one is set to get started at 6:40 PM ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland. MARQ will be televising this one.

Chicago vs. Cleveland Key Information

• Teams: Cubs at Guardians
• Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
• Date: Monday, August 12th
• Betting Odds CHC -118 | CLE +100 O/U 8

The Cubs Can Win If…

Chicago is sending left-hander Shota Imanaga to the mound today as he faces the Guardians on the road. Imanaga has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 9-2 with an ERA of 3.06. Looking at his overall numbers, Imanaga has a WHIP of 1.05 and has turned in 13 quality starts. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs on 10 hits. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without taking a loss. Imanaga has been especially good at home, with an ERA of 4.39 compared to 3.10 on the road.

Heading into today’s game, the Cubs are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. So far, they have been a better offensive team on the road (4.3 runs per game) than at home (4.1 runs per game). As a team, they are batting just .236 and have the league’s 18th ranked home run total.

Over his last nine games, Michael Busch has gone 9/30 with three homers and five RBIs, while Dansby Swanson is also hitting the ball well, going 12/31 over the same stretch. Ian Happ comes into the game with a team-high 19 homers but is batting just .229 for the season.

• The Cubs are 8-2 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Cubs are 3-2 vs. the run line.
• Chicago has an over/under record of 7-3 in their last ten games.
• The Cubs have an average of 5.0 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Cubs are 6-4
• Looking back across the Cubs last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Chicago has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Cubs have averaged 5.5 runs per game on offense

The Guardians Can Win If…

Ben Lively gets the start for the Guardians today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss. Against the Diamondbacks on August 7th, he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back further, Lively had picked up the win in two straight outings before that rough start. One of those wins came against the Orioles, where he gave up just one earned run in six innings of work. Lively’s ERA for the season is 3.59, along with a record of 10-7. For the year, he has made seven quality starts and is averaging 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been the Guardians’ top power threats this season, as Ramirez’s 31 homers are 3rd in the league and Naylor’s 26 is 7th in the MLB. Ramirez’s 97 RBIs are 2nd in the league, while Naylor’s 85 is 5th. However, both players have struggled of late, with Ramirez batting .238 and Naylor at .214 over their last five and four games, respectively.

As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game and are batting a combined .240. They have been a good team at avoiding strikeouts this season and are 9th in home runs. Currently, they are 12th in scoring and have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.8 runs per contest.

• The Guardians are 3-7 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Guardians are 1-4 vs. the run line.
• Cleveland has an over/under record of 6-2-2 in their last ten games.
• The Guardians have an average of 3.0 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Guardians are 6-4
• Looking back across the Guardians last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Cleveland has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Guardians have averaged 3.2 runs per game on offense

The Lean

As the Guardians host the Cubs today, we are leaning towards the Guardians picking up a win as the home underdog. We also have this as the 7th highest-scoring game of the day and are leaning towards taking the over. The Guardians offense has the 3rd lowest team strikeout projection, and Ben Lively has the 3rd best innings pitched projection among today’s starters.

The Chicago Cubs are on the brink of a significant milestone as they prepare to face the Cleveland Guardians in the first of a three-game interleague series. With four consecutive wins under their belt, the Cubs have an opportunity to reach a .500 record for the first time since early June, marking a key moment in their season’s turnaround.

Shota Imanaga Aims to Continue His Dominance

The Cubs will send Shota Imanaga to the mound, a left-hander who has been instrumental in their recent success. Imanaga, boasting a 9-2 record with a 3.06 ERA, has been nothing short of stellar. His most recent performance saw him tie his career-high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings in a commanding 7-3 win against the Minnesota Twins.

This will be Imanaga’s first-ever start against the Guardians, and Chicago is hopeful that his hot streak continues. Manager Craig Counsell praised Imanaga’s recent outing, highlighting the lefty’s ability to keep hitters off balance and minimize hard contact. “Shota, he was outstanding,” Counsell remarked. “The strikeouts, a big indication for sure. There were very few balls hit hard.”

Cubs on a Roll: Momentum Building

The Cubs have been playing some of their best baseball lately, winning eight of their last ten games. After taking the rubber match against the Twins, they swept a two-game series from their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox. In Saturday’s game, catcher Miguel Amaya delivered a clutch two-run single in the eighth inning, propelling the Cubs to a 3-1 victory.

Adding to the excitement, shortstop Dansby Swanson had a day to remember. His wife, Mallory, scored the game-winning goal for the U.S. women’s soccer team in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics, while later that evening, Swanson himself notched his 1,000th career hit. “Probably a day they’ll never forget,” said Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. “His wife scores the game-winning goal in a gold match, and he gets his 1,000th career hit all in the same day. That’s a pretty special day right there.”

With their current winning streak, the Cubs are closing in on the .500 mark, a goal they haven’t reached since June 5, when they were 31-31. A win in Monday’s series opener would put them back at .500, a testament to their resilience after a challenging start to the season.

Guardians Looking to Maintain Division Lead

On the other side, the Cleveland Guardians are working to solidify their position atop the American League Central. Despite a recent rough patch, losing seven straight games, they managed to rebound by splitting a four-game series with the Twins, including a tense 5-3 victory on Sunday. David Fry and Jose Ramirez each hit solo home runs, and the team escaped a bases-loaded jam in the final inning to secure the win.

Cleveland, with a strong 35-20 record at home, will counter with right-hander Ben Lively. Lively, holding a 10-7 record and a 3.59 ERA, had a tough outing in his last start, allowing four runs on four hits over five innings in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Historically, Lively has struggled against the Cubs, with an 0-2 record and a staggering 19.00 ERA over two starts, giving up 19 runs on 18 hits, including eight home runs, in just nine innings of work.

A Crucial Game for Both Teams

For the Cubs, Monday’s game represents more than just another regular-season contest. It’s a chance to complete their climb back to .500, a benchmark that would signal their potential to make a run for the postseason. “We dug ourselves a hole. We’re trying to dig out of it. We’re trying to put ourselves within striking distance here. Just keep playing good baseball,” said Counsell, acknowledging the urgency of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Guardians are focused on maintaining their lead in the AL Central, knowing that every game counts as the season heads into its final stretch. Their ability to win at home has been a key factor in their success, and they will need Lively to overcome his past struggles against the Cubs if they hope to secure a victory.

Looking Ahead: What’s at Stake

As the Cubs and Guardians face off, both teams have much to gain. For the Cubs, it’s about continuing their winning streak and reaching .500, a psychological boost that could propel them further into contention. For the Guardians, it’s about holding onto their division lead and building momentum as they approach the postseason.

With both teams fielding talented pitchers and riding the momentum of recent wins, this series opener promises to be a pivotal moment in their respective seasons.

Conclusion

As the Cubs and Guardians clash in this crucial interleague series, both teams are looking to solidify their positions. For the Cubs, it’s a chance to prove they are back on track, while the Guardians aim to stay on top of their division. With high stakes on both sides, this game is set to be a defining moment in their 2024 seasons.

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