Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction & Picks 9/27/2024

A pair of American League division winners will meet to open the final weekend of the 2024 regular season in Major League Baseball as the Cleveland Guardians host the Houston Astros on Friday night. Home-field advantage in the American League is still very much in play for Cleveland, while both teams will look to make a statement against a potential playoff opponent in this Astros vs Guardians series opener from Progressive Field.

Astros Looking to Build Momentum Toward Postseason

The Houston Astros have locked up the American League West title, as they hold a four-game lead over the Seattle Mariners with just three games left to play. Houston can’t finish better than third in the American League playoff standings, as they are locked in as the third-best division winner. But they can win some games this weekend that can plant some seeds of doubt in the minds of the Guardians should we see an Astros vs Guardians postseason series.

Ronel Blanco is on the mound for the Astros in this game, who has been great for them throughout the 2024 MLB season. Blanco is just 12-8 on the year but his ERA stands at 2.88, which is good for fourth among pitchers who qualify to be ranked in that department. Blanco is going to be incredibly important to any chances the Astros have of getting back to the World Series and pitching well in games like this one against playoff-caliber competition would be huge for him and his team.

Guardians Playing For Home-Field Advantage

The Cleveland Guardians have been confirmed as AL Central champs after outlasting the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins to claim that honor. With the division title locked up, the Guardians can shift their focus to trying to earn home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs, as they enter this weekend one game behind the New York Yankees for that honor. A win today would be huge for their chances of overtaking New York, who just locked up their division crown on Thursday night.

Joey Cantillo is on the mound for the Guardians in this Friday night matchup. Cantillo is just 2-3 with a 4.63 ERA on the season in limited action, but he has pitched well over the final month of the season. In September, Cantillo has yet to take a loss and has given up just two earned runs over 16.1 innings of work. Another strong start from him could earn him some time on the mound in the playoffs.

Astros vs Guardians Best Bet

The Guardians have more to play for in this Astros vs Guardians matchup than their visitors do. But the Astros have a pitching advantage with Blanco on the mound. Which of those factors will win out on Friday night? We will go with the Astros to win this game as a slight underdog at around +110, as Blanco should be pushing toward the postseason and deliver some of his best work tonight.