Cleveland Guardians vs. Oakland Athletics April 3 Betting Preview

The Cleveland Guardians (3-1) take on the Oakland Athletics (1-2) in the first of a three-game series on Monday night. Cleveland, second in the AL Central, won three games in a row after dropping their season opener against the Seattle Mariners, while the Athletics have dropped their last two games against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

First pitch for Monday night's game is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. Let's take a look at the expected starting pitchers.

Starting Pitchers

Zach Plesac (CLE) - Plesac is making his first start this season and hoping for a better year than the one he experienced in 2022. The 6-foot-3 right-hander was just 3-12 last season with a 4.31 ERA. He allowed 11 earned runs in 18 innings pitched during spring training.

James Kaprielian (OAK) - Kaprielian was 5-9 last season with a 4.23 ERA in 26 starts. He had a great spring, allowing just five earned runs and 15 hits in 16 innings pitched. 

Guardians Betting Preview

Through the first series of the season, the Guardians are T11th in runs per game (4.3) and ninth in runs allowed (3.0). Their pitching, despite missing Tristan McKenzie, was outstanding against Seattle. The bullpen, in particular, has stood out. 

Cleveland relief pitchers haven't allowed an earned run in the last three games and have only allowed three this season, all of which were attributed to James Karinchak in last Thursday's season-opening loss. Steven Kwan had a five-RBI game on Friday against Seattle and leads Cleveland with six RBIs this season.

Athletics Betting Preview

Oakland's offense was anemic during its opening weekend. The team was outscored 20-3 by the Angels and lost 13-1 on Saturday. Their lone victory was a 2-1 win on Thursday. 

The Athletics didn't get many chances either. They rank 28th in the league with just 5.3 hits per game and have a .178 team batting average. Offseason acquisition Jesus Aguilar is the only Athletics player with a .300 batting average or better.

Guardians vs. Athletics Betting Odds And Prediction

Cleveland is a -159 moneyline favorite on the road to open the three-game series, while the A's are paying out +135. 

We have a pitching matchup in which both pitchers had an ERA above four last season. Neither have dominant stuff and the A's are due for an offensive outburst after being limited to three runs in three games over the weekend. The over (-120) is a solid bet tonight.