Red Sox vs. Guardians series preview: Prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Red Sox welcome the Guardians for Game 2 of a doubleheader in Boston. Originally, the first contest was scheduled for yesterday but was postponed due to inclement weather. Therefore, a doubleheader has been set for today with Game 1 scheduled at 1:10 p.m. and Game 2 at 6:10 p.m. Eastern time.

Boston is coming off two straight losses at the hands of the Seattle Mariners. In spite of its rough form, the team still owns the second-best record in the AL East.

The Guardians, meanwhile, claimed a series victory against the powerhouse Yankees. Cleveland has won five of its last six games.

Red Sox vs Guardians recent form and records

The Red Sox hold a 14-13 record. They're 8-6 at home, but despite their winning record, they've tallied a run differential of -4 as the team is toiling in the middle of the pack when it comes to hitting and pitching.

On the other hand, the Cleveland Guardians have been impressive lately. The squad recently defeated the Yankees in a three-game set and swept the Pirates in the preceding series.

Players to watch

Starting pitchers

BOS: Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23 ERA), CLE: Doug Nikhazy (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Cleveland Guardians

Highly-touted prospect Doug Nikhazy will be making his major league debut for the Guardians. He was selected in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft by the then-Indians out of Ole Miss. Nikhazy posted a 3.44 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP in four starts with Triple-A Columbus this year.

Must-Watch Hitters

Boston Red Sox

Newly minted Red Sox Alex Bregman is thriving in his new home. The two-time World Series-winning third baseman is batting .320/.393/.563 with an OPS of .956. Bregman has also collected five home runs, ten doubles and 21 RBIs through 26 games.

Red Sox vs Guardians baseball betting odds

Saturday, 4/26	Money Line	Run Spread	Total Runs
BOS	-110	-1.5, +156	O 7.5, -129
CLE	-100	+1.5, -188	U 7.5, +105

Red Sox vs Guardians expert picks and game prediction

Most linesmakers have the game even for both teams. Although Cleveland has the better record, conditions such as home field advantage for Boston and the backend of a doubleheader with a neophyte pitcher leveled the odds.

It would be intriguing if Guardians rookie Doug Nikhazy could stifle the relatively average Boston offense. After all, Cleveland has prided itself on its pitching pipeline throughout the past years.

New acquisition Walker Buehler would be tested on the mound for Boston, as even though he has an impressive 3-1 card, he has yet to make a solid impression in terms of pitching statistics like expected ERA and whiff percentage.

Run Line: -1.5, +156

Total Runs, O 7.5, -129

Prediction: BOS wins, 6-4

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago