Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians Game 1 Prediction – 4/26/2025

Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians Game 1 Betting Preview

As the Cleveland Guardians host the Boston Red Sox on April 26, 2025, both teams are looking to gain ground in the American League. Currently, the Guardians hold a record of 14-10, while the Red Sox sit at 14-13. These two teams are riding mixed momentum into the contest, as both were defeated in their respective last games on April 23; the Guardians stumbled with a 5-1 loss, while the Red Sox narrowly fell 4-3. Here, they start off a double-header looking to set the tone before the second game.

For this matchup, the Guardians are projected to send Ben Lively to the mound. Lively comes into this game with a record of 1-2 for the year and an ERA of 3.86. Lively's contributions will be incredibly important in this game, as he looks to go deep into the game to help the Guardians bullpen go into Game 2 of this double-header without being spent. It will be interesting to see if he can do that against a strong Boston offense.

On the other side, Boston will go with Tanner Houck as its starting pitcher. Houck is off to a rough start this season despite getting some early AL Cy Young Award hype going into the 2025 campaign. Houck is 0-2 and he has an ERA of 7.66. The Red Sox have gone 1-4 in Houck's five starts to begin the season and they will look to get a rare win with Houck on the mound here.

Despite both teams' struggles with their bats—Cleveland ranks 20th for offensive performance—Boston's recent hitting gives them the edge. The projections suggest a close contest, yet the Guardians' elite bullpen, ranked 1st in MLB, could swing the game in their favor.

Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians Game 1 Prediction

Predicted Final Score: Boston Red Sox 4.25, Cleveland Guardians 3.55

• Date: April 26, 2025
• Venue: Progressive Field
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Tanner Houck - Red Sox
  • Ben Lively - Guardians

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