MLB best bets: Guardians vs. Athletics odds, pick, predictions for 3/29

Regardless, the A's were blanked by Shane Bieber and the Cleveland Guardians last night and get set to play the second game of their four-game series. They might be a crummy baseball team, but I have a hunch that the bats wake up tonight.

Let's dive into both teams below to break down the matchup with a Guardians vs A's pick.

Cleveland Guardians

Left-hander Logan Allen gets the ball for the Guardians after he was unexpectedly named the No. 2 starter to open the season. Allen had a mediocre season in 2023, posting a 3.81 ERA in 125 IP.

The 25-year-old lit up the minor league system, consistently averaging over 11 K/9 with a 40-45% GB rate. He did not come close to that production in the big leagues last year, as the metrics suggest he was a bit fortunate with 4.28 xFIP.

Allen struggled against right-handed hitters last season, allowing a .334 wOBA and 14 homers over 102 innings. The A's should load up the lineup with right-handers, and it'll be interesting to see if Allen can keep the ball in the ballpark.

The Guardians poured in eight runs last night against Alex Wood and co., and tonight they face a familiar foe in right-hander Ross Stripling. Against Stripling, the current Guardians are 9-for-26 lifetime with one home run.

Given the uncertainties of Allen, the bats need to show up once again for the Guardians to pull out another victory. As good as Bieber was last night, the bullpen did an excellent job, and it should be another great season for that group.

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Oakland Athletics

If you are a new bettor, or new to betting on the MLB, there is something you should always keep in the back of your mind:

Given that these teams play 162 games, it is naive to expect the most talented teams to win each night. Even the worst teams in the league end up winning 55-60 games, so blindly betting against bad teams is not the best strategy.

Did I give you this pep talk to convince you to bet on the Athletics? Yes … sorta.

Look, the A's offense looked lifeless last night. But today is a brand new day and now we get to see a much more right-handed starting lineup against Allen.

With Esteury Ruiz presumably leading off, he automatically improves the lineup significantly. Despite the lack of power, Ruiz's insane speed turns single into triples given his base-stealing ability.

The projected lineup is 0-for-8 lifetime against Allen, but that is a minuscule sample size. As bad of a baseball team as the A's are, there are a few notable right-handed bats that catch my eye who can make the difference.

Outfielder Brent Rooker and infielder JD Davis smashes left-handed pitching, and having those two bats back-to-back in the middle of the order should help in the run-production department. The projected 2-5 slots in the order are Zack Gelof, Shea Langeliers, Rooker and Davis.

It is not a murderer's row, but it is nothing to scoff at. Baseball is full of variance, and I'd be stunned if the A's were held scoreless again on Friday night.

Guardians vs. Athletics

Betting Pick & Prediction

It is tough to gauge how long Stripling will go for the A's tonight, and I am not ready to buy in on the A's bullpen after a night of decent use. Most books have the A's as modest +114 underdogs, despite their less-than-desirable performance last night.

The Guardians have great numbers against Stripling's lifetime, so something is a bit fishy. With that listed moneyline, I have a hunch that Allen is going to get roughed up a bit by the A's bats tonight.

I may look foolish, but I expect a much better effort from the A's on the offensive front tonight and I'll take their team total over. It's never fun backing a bad baseball team, but at least we can rely on the offense and not worry about Stripling or the bullpen.

Pick: A's Team Total Over 3.5 (Play to -120)