Cubs at Guardians: Odds, Preview & Betting Tips

It’s been 10 years since the Cubs defeated the then Indians in Game 7 of the World Series for their first title in more than a century. There will always be a soft spot for the city of Cleveland in the hearts of Cubs fans. They’ve played a number of times since then and the interleague rivalry continues on Saturday, April 4 on FOX.

Probable hurlers for the middle game of the 3-game set likely put the Cubs as a slight MLB betting favorite. Lefty Shota Imanaga, who went 15-3 in his MLB rookie season in 2024, is set to take the mound for Chicago against Cleveland righty Slade Cecconi

Cubs at Guardians Game Preview

The middle game of the 3-game interleague series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians takes place on Saturday, April 4 in primetime on FOX. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. ET from Progressive Field.

The Cubs hit the road for the first time after opening the season with six games at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. The Cubs had one of the better road records in MLB last season winning nearly 52 percent of their away contests. However, they stumbled in the postseason losing all three road games in a 5-game series loss to Milwaukee in the NLDS.

A two-time All Star in Nippon Professional Baseball, Imanaga made a splash in 2024 going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 173.1 innings over 29 starts. He regressed last season going 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA. Imanaga was tagged with a loss in his first start allowing four earned runs and six hits over 5.0 innings in a 6-3 setback to the Nationals.

While he’s been a dependable starter in his time with the Cubs, Imanaga has been susceptible to the long ball. Last year he surrendered more home runs (32) than he issued walks (28). He was tagged for a 3-run first inning homer in his first start this season and has allowed 1.6 homers per 9 innings during his career.

The Guardians won a weak AL Central last season with the fewest victories of any division winner. They finished 88-74 and were the only playoff team with a negative run differential (-6). Cleveland dominated within the division going 36-16 and struggled everywhere else. They were just 20-28 in interleague play.

Probable starter Slade Cecconi needs to start producing in order to keep a spot in the rotation. He entered the season with a 5.03 ERA starting 40 of his 50 career games. In his first start this season he lasted 4.1 innings giving up six hits and six earned runs in a 8-0 loss to Seattle.

Cubs at Guardians Predictions

Both teams are working through some pitching problems early in the season. Cleveland boasts a staff ERA of 5.14 through its first 5 games with opponents scoring 24 runs. Those numbers will likely improve when the Guardians start playing more games at pitcher-friendly Progressive Field.

Cleveland is looking forward to facing Imanaga. The offense averaged just 3.4 runs through 5 games with a batting average slightly above the Mendoza Line. In 2 career starts against the Guardians, Imanaga has allowed 11 hits and 5 home runs in just 10.1 innings. His lone start in Cleveland came in 2024 when Imanaga allowed 7 hits and 2 homers over 5.0 innings getting no decision in a 9-8 loss.

Cubs at Guardians Betting Tips

The home team has had the advantage in the series with 3-game season sweeps in each of the last two seasons. The Indians were victorious in 2024 outscoring the Cubs 17-10. Chicago returned the favor last season. The home team has won 8 of the last 10 meetings between the clubs.

The teams have cashed the UNDER on the MLB betting in 4 of the last 5 encounters, but I’m looking for more offense in this outing. Given the propensity of the starters to cough up the long ball and less than sturdy pitching from the bullpens, runs should be plentiful.

Cubs at Guardians Head to Head and Key Stats

The series has been even over the last 20 meetings with Cleveland winning 11 games. The difference has been the home team winning 12 of the last 15 games. Prior to this series the Guardians had won five straight at home.