Athletics vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction – 7/18/2025

The Cleveland Guardians will open a series against the Athletics at Progressive Field on Friday night. The A’s and Guardians are both under the .500 mark for the season. But the Guardians can move a step closer to getting back to the breakeven point with a win at home tonight. Continue reading to get my Athletics vs Guardians prediction for their Friday night game.

Our Athletics vs Guardians Pick

• Pick: Guardians moneyline
• Confidence: 3 stars
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Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Athletics vs Cleveland Guardians
• Date & Time: Friday, July 18, 2025, 7:10 PM local time
• Starting Pitchers: JP Sears vs Slade Cecconi
• Stadium: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
• Broadcast: CLEG and NBCS-CA

Key Storylines

• Pitching form: JP Sears is 7-7 with a 4.79 ERA on the year. He has won his last two decisions and has held his own against the Yankees, Giants, and Braves in his last three starts. Slade Cecconi has a 4-4 record and a 3.44 earned run average. This game at home against a bad team is a golden opportunity for Cecconi to get a win.
• Bullpen usage: The Athletics’ relief pitching has been a disaster so far this year. The A’s have the 29th ranked bullpen ERA in the league. Cleveland is in the middle of the pack in that regard.
• Recent team streaks: The Athletics have won two straight and four of their last six. The Guardians have won three of their last four and their only recent loss came in extra innings against the Chicago White Sox.

Best Player Props

Betting Trends & H2H

• The Guardians lead the season series between these teams 2-1.
• Both teams have losing records in night games this year. The A’s are 27-37 on the road this year. Cleveland is 25-31 in their night games.
• The A’s are tied for the fifth-highest over percentage in baseball this year at 54.4%.

Athletics vs Guardians Model Projection

Score Projection: Athletics 3 – Guardians 5

Win Probability: Athletics 38% Guardians 62%

Final Thoughts

JP Sears has been solid for the Athletics this year. But unless he pitches a complete game, I don’t see that being enough for the A’s here. I’ll take the Guardians to win this game as a slight favorite and hope that Cecconi can do enough on the hill to keep his team in a position to win this game.

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is a sports bettor, writer and broadcaster from New York. He is an avid New York Knicks fan and is no longer ashamed to admit it. He is also an avid New York Giants fan, and is very ashamed to admit it. His top sports to handicap are the NBA, WNBA and men’s tennis for some reason. He has watched more UAlbany Great Danes basketball than anyone should consume.