Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction, 9/28/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians

Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024

Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes

The Cleveland Guardians (92-67) will try to beat the Houston Astros (86-73) at Progressive Field on Saturday. The men taking the mound are Justin Verlander and Ben Lively.

As a team, the Houston Astros are notching 4.6 runs per game, which has them at 12th in the league. They have earned 731 runs while having a team OBP of .321. The Astros have accumulated 257 two-baggers as a team and have hit 188 baseballs out of the stadium. They have recorded 695 RBI's as well as 1,426 hits for the season, and their average at the plate is .261. Houston has a slugging % of .418 and have struck out 1,155 times, while being walked on 438 occasions.

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The Astros have a team earned run average of 3.76 so far this season (7th in baseball), and the staff has rung up 1,460 hitters. Astros pitchers have given up 182 long balls in addition to 644 total runs (7th in MLB). They have walked 538 opposing batters and their FIP is 4.04 as a team this year. Houston has surrendered 1,226 base knocks (7.8 per 9 innings) in addition to 590 earned runs. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.71 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.25.

The Astros relief pitchers have a save rate of 61.8% and has come into the game in 161 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 154 runners so far this year and 30.5% of those players ended up crossing the plate. Astros relief pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 103 times and also have had 151 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have dispatched 505 relief pitchers to the mound so far this season. The relievers have accumulated 91 holds this year (9th in MLB). They have earned 42 saves on the campaign and have blown 26 of their 68 chances to save the game.

The Houston Astros have earned 4,242 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,293 assists and 83 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .985 which ranks 15th in baseball, and they have turned 128 double plays. The Astros have turned 70.4% of balls hit into play into outs out of 12,726 innings, which ranks them 10th in MLB.

Verlander has thrown 3,409 innings and has earned 3,411 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career. His ERA is 3.30 (1,249 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.125. He has given up 2,884 base knocks (7.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 952 free passes. Verlander (261-147 career win-loss record) has a FIP of 3.25 while going up against 13,920 opposing hitters in the majors.

Cleveland has tallied 184 HRs so far this year as well as 665 runs batted in. They have hit 241 two-baggers, while taking a walk 460 times and racking up 703 runs. The Cleveland Guardians have accounted for an OBP of .308 in addition to a team batting average of .238 for the season. The Guardians have a slugging percentage of .396 and they are earning 4.42 runs per contest (14th in the league). They have been rung up on 1,177 occasions (27th in the league) and have notched a total of 1,251 base hits.

The Guardians have a team WHIP of 1.194 with a FIP of 3.98 as a pitching staff for the season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 8.90 (1,389 strikeouts vs 482 bases on balls). They sit at 3rd in the league as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 1,202. They have given up 177 home runs and they give up 3.91 runs per 9 innings (3rd in the league). The Cleveland pitching staff have relinquished 612 runs over the course of the season while having a team ERA of 3.61 (565 earned runs surrendered).

Cleveland has called on relievers to step onto the mound in 69 save opportunities and they have walked away with 53 saves. They are currently ranked 1st in baseball holding a save rate of 76.8%, and they have dispatched 584 relievers to the mound this year. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 198 times in high leverage situations in addition to 167 occasions with runners on. Cleveland bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 26.3% out of 232 inherited base runners. Sitting with 193 save situations, the Guardians have accumulated 122 holds and 16 blown saves.

In 12,690 innings on the diamond, the Guardians hold a defensive efficiency of 71.0% (3rd in professional baseball). The Cleveland Guardians have turned 128 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .985 (17th in professional baseball). The Guardians have recorded 1,362 assists, 85 errors and have 4,230 putouts on the season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Lively has allowed 364 hits while he has accumulated 273 strikeouts in 356 innings. He has given up a total of 179 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.329 and having a FIP of 4.5. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.50 and he has faced 1,515 opposing batters so far in his MLB career. Lively (21-26 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 4.53 earned run average while giving up 9.2 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston

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