Guardians vs Pirates Odds, Picks & Probable Pitchers (July 19)
By Quinn Allen in MLB Baseball
Published:
- The Guardians and Pirates meet Wednesday afternoon
- Cleveland is the -130 favorite with Aaron Civale on the hill
- Who takes this one? Find the Guardians vs Pirates odds and prediction below
Wednesday afternoon brings some interleague baseball in the Steel City as the Cleveland Guardians (46-48, 22-26 away) visit the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates (41-52, 22-25 home) at PNC Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:35 PM ET.
The Guardians send their best starter at the moment to the mound in Aaron Civale, while the Bucs counter with the oldest man in baseball, Rich Hill. This is only the sixth meeting between these two teams since June of 2021.
Guardians vs Pirates Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians | -130 | -1.5 (+130) | Ov 9 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +150 | +1.5 (-150) | Un 9 (-110) |
Cleveland comes in as a 1.5 favorite on the runline and owns moneyline odds of -130. The Pirates sit at +150.
Odds as of July 18th at DraftKings. Get a DraftKings promo code to bet on Guardians vs Pirates on Wednesday or see the list of best MLB betting apps.
Cleveland vs Pittsburgh Probable Pitchers
Civale is having a fantastic year for the Guardians, despite spending some time on the IL. In 10 starts, the right-hander is 3-2 with a stellar 2.65 ERA, striking out 46 in 57.2 innings while walking 17. His WHIP also sits at 1.08.
After pitching 5 innings in Texas, Aaron Civale talks his approach coming into his start.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/skeF3GMFbM
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) July 15, 2023
The 28-year-old is extremely reliable every time he steps on the bump and his stats are a reflection of just that. Civale has only allowed more than two earned in a single outing once since the beginning of June. Last time out, he gave up two earned to the Texas Rangers in five innings before the bullpen blew the game. Civale has actually faced the Pirates twice in his career but owns an ERA over six.
Civale vs Hill Stats
| 3-2 | Record | 7-9 |
| 2.65 | ERA | 4.76 |
| 57.2 | Innings Pitched | 104 |
| 46 | Strikeouts | 93 |
| 17 | Walks | 41 |
43 years old and Hill is still trucking along. The MLB journeyman has made a total of 19 starts for Pittsburgh in 23′, compiling a 4.76 ERA. He’s tossed 104 innings and struck out 93, but the walks are an issue, surrendering 41 free passes. Regardless, you simply have to respect that Hill can go out there every fifth day and give his team a chance to win.
Hill put together a respectable outing on July 14th, throwing six frames against the San Francisco Giants and giving up three earned runs, ultimately grabbing a no-decision. Hill doesn’t have the best track record against the Guardians though, posting a 6.28 ERA.
Cleveland Still in the Playoff Mix
Despite sitting two games below .500, the Guardians are very much in the playoff picture and have +145 AL Central odds, trailing the Minnesota Twins by a game and a half. Offensively they haven’t looked great, but Cleveland did score 11 runs in the series opener against Pittsburgh Monday in a big win.
It will actually be interesting to see what could happen at the trade deadline for this ball club. Making a legitimate run in the postseason feels unlikely, therefore the Guardians may sell. Considering how well Civale is pitching, he could be one on the move.
Bucs Are Struggling
Pittsburgh had a short stint at the start of the season where they actually led the NL Central, but it didn’t last. As of late, the Pirates are in rough shape and have gone 2-8 in their previous 10 outings heading into Tuesday’s meeting with the Guardians, also losing four in a row.
No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes signs w/@Pirates for $9.2 million (pick value = $9,721,000). Breaks @MLBDraft record of $8,416,300 (Torkelson, 2020). @LSUbaseball RHP, ranks w/Strasburg as best Draft pitching prospect ever. Fastball up to 102 mph, wipeout upper-80s slider. pic.twitter.com/hVECfTjFLx
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 18, 2023
On a more positive note, the Bucs just signed first-overall pick Paul Skenes to a record $9.2 million bonus. The former LSU star is expected to be pitching in the big leagues by 2024 and profiles to be a very special talent. His arrival is something for fans to look forward to.
Guardians vs Pirates Prediction
Considering the inflated ERAs of both starters against these respective opponents, I’d hammer the over here.
Guardians vs Pirates Pick: Over 9 runs (-110)
Sports Writer
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
