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As August continues, Monday’s MLB schedule includes the beginning of a three-game series between the Chicago Cubs (59-60) and Cleveland Guardians (69-49) at Progressive Field. Tonight’s festivities can be viewed on MLB.TV and MARQ at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Just like the rest of today’s baseball slate, this Cubs vs. Guardians showdown has plenty of MLB betting opportunities you won’t want to miss. Let’s highlight some of them by diving into my game predictions and best bets so you can get in on the action.
2024 MLB Betting Picks Record: 68-84-1 (44.8%)
MLB Betting Today: Cubs vs Guardians (8/12)
Cubs vs Guardians Game Information
- Matchup: Chicago Cubs (59-60, 27-33 Away) vs. Cleveland Guardians (69-49, 35-20 Home)
- Venue & Location: Progressive Field (Cleveland, OH)
- Date: Monday, Aug. 12, 2024
- Game Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- How to Watch Cubs vs. Guardians: MLB.TV, Fubo, MARQ
Cubs vs Guardians MLB Probable Pitchers
- Cubs: Shota Imanaga (21 starts — 9-2, 3.06 ERA(
- Guardians: Ben Lively (20 starts — 10-7, 3.59 ERA)
Guardians vs Cubs MLB Odds & Spread
Guardians vs. Cubs MLB odds are courtesy of Bovada as of Monday, Aug. 12 at 9:50 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.
Cubs vs Guardians Run Line
- Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+141)
- Cleveland Guardians +1.5 (-161)
Guardians vs Cubs Over/Under
- Over 8 Runs (-102)
- Under 8 Runs (-118)
Cubs vs Guardians Moneyline
- Chicago Cubs (-118)
- Cleveland Guardians (+108)
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Cubs vs Guardians MLB Betting Trends
- The Cubs are 5-2 straight up in their last seven road games.
- Cleveland is 0-5 straight up in its last five home games.
- The total hit the Over in 10 of the Cubs’ last 13 games vs. the AL Central.
- The total hit the Under in five of Cleveland’s last six games vs. the NL Central.
- The total hit the Under in six of the last eight Cubs-Guardians matchups.
Cubs vs Guardians Predictions & MLB Picks Today (8/12)
The Cubs head into this series with a considerable amount of momentum. After a slow start following the MLB All-Star Break, the Cubs are 10-4 SU across their last 14 games, which includes their current four-game winning streak — a span where they’ve outscored their opponents by an average of 3.3 runs per game. It’ll be interesting to see if they can keep the good vibes going against the AL Central leaders.
Speaking of which, the Guardians have played to mixed results lately. On one hand, Cleveland has lost seven of its last nine games, marking one of the club’s worst stretches of the 2024 campaign. On the other hand, the Guardians are coming off back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Twins, outscoring their division rivals 7-4 on aggregate.
Having said that, it doesn’t change the fact that the Guardians are also on a five-game losing streak at Progressive Field and haven’t won at home since Aug. 2.
Conversely, the Cubs have won five of their last seven road outings, proving that playing in opposing stadiums hasn’t been an issue.
The Guardians haven’t had any recent luck at Progressive Field.
Another thing that Chicago has going for itself is its superior inter-league play. The Cubs are an impressive 21-10 SU (67.7%) against the American League this season whereas the Guardians are only 15-14 SU (51.7%) against National League franchises.
As far as the recent history between these teams go, the Guardians are 5-2 SU across their last seven meetings with the Cubs. They met for three games at Wrigley Field last season, resulting in a pair of wins for Cleveland in a series that averaged 10.3 combined runs per game.
Today’s starting pitcher for the Cubs is LHP Shota Imanaga, who hasn’t lost a start since June 21. Not only does the Japanese All-Star boast a 2-0 record in his last seven starts, but he’s also pitched to a 3.25 ERA while striking out 47 batters across 44 1/3 innings.
The Guardians hope for a rebound performance from RHP Ben Lively, who surrendered four earned runs in five innings during a 7-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks last Wednesday. He had gone four consecutive starts with two or fewer earned runs before that loss, leaving time to tell if it was just a fluke or if Lively is beginning to regress.
Can Guardians RHP Ben Lively bounce back from last week’s debacle?
As this inter-league matchup looms, I’m taking the Cubs to win today. Chicago has been significantly hotter than Cleveland in recent weeks and has proven that it can handle playing on the road. With Imanaga continuing to perform like one of the NL’s best starters, it’s a no-brainer to ride the Cubs’ momentum wave this evening.
With that in mind, let’s also go with the Over on the 8-run total. The Over is a dominant 7-3 in the Cubs’ last 10 games as well as 8-1-1 in the Guardians’ last 10 outings as the home underdog this season. That’s without mentioning how the Over is also 10-3 in Chicago’s last 13 encounters with an AL Central club.
And even though he’s played extremely well lately, Imanaga’s last three starts still averaged 10.7 combined runs while four of Lively’s last five home starts finished with nine or more total runs.
Cubs vs. Guardians MLB Prediction: CHC wins
Best Cubs vs. Guardians Bet: o8 Total Runs (-102)
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Best Cubs vs Guardians MLB Player Prop (8/12)
There are a few solid Cubs vs. Guardians player props available today, including Shota Imanaga u5.5 total hits allowed (-130).
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Imanaga has allowed fewer than 5.5 hits in five of his last 10 starts, including when he limited the Twins to two hits in seven innings just six days ago. He now gets to face a Cleveland team that has struggled at the plate lately. In their last six games, the Guardians are only averaging 6.8 hits per outing and were even limited to five or fewer in two of their last four contests.
Given that the Guardians are also struggling to produce offense at home, it’s clear that it’s best to take the Under on this prop.
Best Cubs vs. Guardians MLB Prop Bet: Shota Imanaga u5.5 Total Hits Allowed (-130)
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