Guardians vs. Brewers Prediction, Odds and Probable Pitchers for Sunday, Aug. 18

The Cleveland Guardians are aiming to avoid a sweep on Sunday when they take on the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee is in the midst of a four-game winning streak, taking two games at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers before opening this series with a pair of wins in low-scoring games.

Christian Yelich is out for the season for the Brew Crew, but it is still fighting, sitting with a huge lead in the NL Central.

Can the Guardians, who lead the AL Central, leave Milwaukee on a high note?

Here’s a look at the odds, probable pitchers and my prediction for Sunday’s series finale.

Guardians vs. Brewers Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Run Line

Guardians +1.5 (-192)
Brewers -1.5 (+160)

Moneyline

Guardians: +110
Brewers: -130

Total

8.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Guardians vs. Brewers Probable Pitchers

Cleveland: Ben Lively (10-7, 3.71 ERA)
Milwaukee: Colin Rea (10-4, 3.72 ERA)

Guardians vs. Brewers How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Aug. 18
Time: 2:10 p.m. EST
Venue: American Family Field
How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Wisconsin, Bally Sports Great Lakes
Guardians record: 72-51
Brewers record: 71-52

Guardians vs. Brewers Key Players to Watch

Cleveland Guardians

Ben Lively: The Guardians righty has struggled a bit this month, raising his ERA to 3.71, but he has led them to a 13-8 record in his 21 outings. Lively has been prone to the long ball though this season, giving up 21 homers, including at least one in four straight starts.

Milwaukee Brewers

William Contreras: A two-time All-Star, Contreras hit a huge home run on Saturday to lead the Brewers to a 2-1 win. With Christian Yelich out for the season, Contreras may need to carry this offense for the Brew Crew. He’s hitting .284 with 17 homers and 71 runs batted in so far in 2024.

Guardians vs. Brewers Prediction and Pick

Could we see a sweep on Sunday?

In today’s edition of Rounding the Bases – SI Betting’s straight up picks for every MLB game, I broke down why the Brewers can pull it off:

I've faded Colin Rea in the past since his expected ERA is much higher than his actual ERA, and it worked against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he allowed seven runs across six innings.

However, I'm backing him on Sunday.

The Brewers have won four in a row, splitting their series with the Dodgers and setting themselves up to sweep the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. Cleveland has Ben Lively on the mound, but he's struggled this month, raising his ERA from 3.44 to 3.71 in just three starts.

The Guardians are three games over .500 on the road, but the Brewers have been dominant at home going 37-24. That, coupled with their 16-7 record in Rea's appearances is enough for me to take the home team to sweep.

Pick: Brewers Moneyline (-130)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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