A’s vs. Guardians Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers and Prop Bets for Friday, July 18

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the A''s-Guardians matchup on Friday, July 18.

Are the Athletics and pitcher JP Sears undervalued on Friday? / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians and A’s open up their post-All-Star break action on Friday night, as Cleveland tries to inch closer to .500 in the 2025 season.

The Guardians entered the break by winning six of their last 10 games, but they remain in fourth place in the AL Central and well out of the wild card race in the AL.

On Friday, Cleveland will turn to Slade Cecconi (3.44 ERA) on the mound against A’s lefty JP Sears (4.79 ERA).

The A’s have been one of the worst teams in baseball after a strong start, going 19-37 after a 22-20 start. Can they pull off an upset at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio?

Let’s dive into the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for Friday’s contest. 

A’s vs. Guardians Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Run Line

• A’s +1.5 (-176)
• Guardians -1.5 (+144)

Moneyline

• A’s: +118
• Guardians: -144

Total

• 8.5 (Over -116/Under -105)

A’s vs. Guardians Probable Pitchers

• A’s: JP Sears (7-7, 4.79 ERA)
• Guardians: Slade Cecconi (4-4, 3.44 ERA)

A’s vs. Guardians How to Watch

• Date: Friday, July 18
• Time: 7:10 p.m. EST
• Venue: Progressive Field
• How to Watch (TV): CLEG, NBCS-CA
• A’s record: 41-57
• Guardians record: 46-49 

A’s vs. Guardians Best MLB Prop Bets

A’s Best MLB Prop Bet

• Slade Cecconi 2+ Walks (+120)

While Cecconi only dished out one walk in a start against the A’s earlier this season, he’s walked 18 batters in 10 starts overall this season.

At +120, I think this prop is worth a shot since the A’s are 16th in walks drawn and 11th in OPS this season.

Cecconi has walked at least two batters in seven of his 10 starts (including both of his outings in July), and he ranks in just the 56th percentile in MLB in walk percentage. He’s a solid pitcher to fade in this plus-money prop on Friday. 

A’s vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick

On the surface, it appears that Cecconi has been the far better starter between him and Sears, but the advanced numbers tell a much different story.

Cecconi ranks in just the 18th percentile in expected ERA (4.76) while Sears (4.00 expected ERA) is in the 45th percentile. While that’s not great, I still think the lefty may be undervalued against a Cleveland offense that is one of the worst in baseball.

The Guardians rank 26th in runs scored, 29th in batting average and 28th in OPS this season, and they’ve just 5-5 in Cecconi’s starts despite his 3.44 ERA. 

Cecconi has a higher WHIP than Sears (1.27 vs. 1.24), but he did toss seven shutout innings against this A’s team earlier this season.

Despite that, I think backing the A’s on the run line is the play to make on Friday. 

The A’s are a much better offense (17th in runs scored, 11th in OPS), and I have a hard time trusting the Cleveland offense to score enough to win by multiple runs. The Guardians may win this game, but I don’t expect it to be in a blowout. 

Pick: A’s +1.5 (-176 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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