Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, April 4 (Guardians to Roll Behind Bieber)

Shane Bieber takes the mound for the Guardians after throwing six shutout innings against the Mariners to start the year. He's countered by JP Sears of the Athletics making his first start of the season.

Sears is largely a relief pitcher and spent time in the minors last year, though he's someone the A's hope can take a step forward and provide stability in the rotation.

Cleveland is a rightful favorite in this second game of a three-game series, and I see clear value on one side of the matchup.

Here are the odds before we get into it.

Guardians vs. Athletics Odds, Spread, and Total

Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

Simply put, the Guardians are a much better team than the A's and have their best pitcher on the mound. There's no need to overthink this - Cleveland is going to cover the run line in a convincing win.

Bieber picked up right where he left off in his season debut with impressive command, allowing zero walks while shutting out the Mariners in six strong innings. He's working on four consecutive years with a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) below 3.03, so he's consistently been one of baseball's best pitchers for years now.

There's no reason to believe that should change against a miserable Athletics' offense that ranks third-to-last in OPS in this short season. Dating back to last year, Bieber has allowed two or fewer runs in 12 of his last 14 starts. His counterpart, JP Sears, compiled an 8.27 September ERA while ranking in the seventh percentile in opponent average exit velocity.

Cleveland's contact-heavy approach should allow its hitters to take advantage of Sears' softballs. Take the Guardians on the run line at -110 odds and enjoy another dominant Bieber performance.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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