Cleveland Indians vs. Oakland Athletics Betting Preview & Predictions 8/10

After taking home the Ohio Cup on Tuesday night, the Tribe's home stand continues with an American League matchup against the Oakland Athletics.

The A's are 64-48 on the season and just two games behind the AL West leading Houston Astros. Meanwhile, the Indians are dead even at 55-55.

The Indians are +120 underdogs going into Tuesday's matchup at Progressive Field. 

Tribe Looking To Stay Above .500

It's no secret that the Indians are not looking to win anything meaningful this season.

Despite this, the youth movement is completely underway and it's always good for morale to get the young players some wins. An impressive victory on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds allowed the Tribe bats to heat up, scoring nine runs in a bullpen game for Cleveland.

The Tribe won the first series 2-a in Oakland in the middle of July.

However, in this matchup, the A's still have something to play for this year, while the Indians are just coasting to the offseason and developing young talent.

Pitching Matchup

Sean Manaea: Oakland Athletics LHP (8-7, 3.26 ERA)

Triston McKenzie: Cleveland Indians RHP (1-5, 5.89 ERA)

There's no secret that Manaea's A's will have the upper hand in this matchup, and the betting line proves that to be true. Manaea has 141 strikeouts on the season and will be facing an underwhelming Indians lineup.

All Eyes On Triston McKenzie

McKenzie has had a rollercoaster of a season, filled with bright moments and downright forgettable ones as well.

Unfortunately, the bad has outweighed the good for McKenzie in 2021. He has an ERA of 5.82 in his last seven games. If he starts giving up a lot of runs early, tonight's game will be over quickly. However, if he comes out dominant, which he's done before, the Tribe will have a puncher's chance.

The Verdict

The Indians are an underdog for a reason in this game. A young starter, McKenzie, could hopefully work out some kinks against Oakland's 22nd ranked offense.

The Tribe's bats aren't any better though, as the Indians offense ranks 24th. 

I just can't pick the Tribe, even as massive underdogs. Athletics (-149). Under 9.5 (-125).

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