Los Angeles Dodgers - Cleveland Guardians

It's not every day that you get a matchup where two teams that have already lost to the league's best meet again, but here we are. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians are delivering early in the season, and the Guardians in particular have sent a clear message: they're not here to be extras.

But when the Dodgers now get their first “wake-up call” after the loss last time, at the same time as Shohei Ohtani takes the trip up to the mound… then this could quickly become a completely different story.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers opened the season by sweeping Arizona, but suffered a minor blow against the Guardians last time out. Still, there's little indication that this is a team that will let one loss become a trend.

Offensively, things have looked good, but it's almost a little scary that they're still "waiting" for Ohtani to really break out with multiple hits in the same game. That says a lot about the level here.

And Ohtani will be the key in this game, not only with the bat, but also from the mound. When he starts, the Dodgers gain an extra dimension, and there are few teams in the league that can match that combination of pitching and hitting power.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Guardians have opened the season strong and have already shown that they can beat the best, both Seattle and the Dodgers have felt it.

Steven Kwan was instrumental in the win last time out, going 3-for-5, and that's exactly the kind of production the Guardians rely on. They play smart baseball, put the ball in play and capitalize on momentum, like in the strong seventh inning where Schneemann contributed an RBI.

At the same time, they have added an exciting dimension in rookie Chase DeLauter. Although he went hitless last time out (0-for-4), he has already shown in the Seattle series that he can hit the ball out in all directions and it is exactly these types of players that can surprise.

Match picture

This smells like a fight with two completely different entrances.

Guardians come in with

• self-confidence after strong away wins
• flow in the lineup
• believe they can match top teams

The Dodgers come in with:

• a desire for revenge after the first loss of the season
• perhaps the league's most complete roster
• a certain Japanese guy on the mound who doesn't exactly make things easier

The question really becomes quite simple: can the Guardians produce enough against Ohtani, or will the Dodgers take control early and stifle the game?

Conclusion

The Guardians have shown they can bite, and this is not a team you just cruise past. But here they face a Dodgers team that has both received a little wake-up call and at the same time sent their biggest star out to the mound.

It tends to be a bad combination for the opponent.

I think the Guardians can hang around for a while, but over time the Dodgers should have too much quality, especially if Ohtani delivers both as a pitcher and in the batter's box.

Bet suggestions

MLB At 04:10 Los Angeles Dodgers - Cleveland Guardians: Dodgers -1 (1.60)

Alternative game:

MLB At 04:10 Los Angeles Dodgers - Cleveland Guardians: Over 4.5 runs Dodgers (1.90)