Guardians vs. Yankees prediction, odds and likely pitchers for ALCS Game 2

The New York Yankees took a 1-0 series lead in the ALCS on Monday night after rallying to a win over the Cleveland Guardians with a strong start from left-hander Carlos Rodon.

Cleveland managed just two runs on Monday – despite scoring its first run of the postseason from New York's bullpen – in a 5-2 loss.

Juan Soto came up big early for the Yankees by hitting a solo home run, and a few errors by the Cleveland pitching staff (wild pitches and walks) allowed the Yankees to gain an early lead. Giancarlo Stanton capped it off with a late solo home run.

New York now turns to its ace, Gerrit Cole, in Game 2 of this series. Oddsmakers have the Yankees heavily favored to win, but Cleveland won't go quietly. It counters with Tanner Bibee, who pitched in Game 1 and Game 4 of the ALDS and led the Guardians to two wins.

Here's a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch, and my prediction for Game 2 of the ALCS.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Cleveland Guardians

Tanner Bibee: Bibee had a strong regular season for the Guardians, allowing just two runs in 8.2 innings this postseason. However, the Guardians haven't had him throw five full innings in a game this season, meaning they'll likely put their bullpen to the test again on Tuesday night. Overall, Cleveland is 24-9 (including playoffs) when Bibee takes the mound this season.

New York Yankees

Aaron Richter: The Yankees need the soon-to-be 2024 AL MVP to get going. Judge was 0-2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI in Game 1, but it was Stanton and Soto who carried this New York offense into the playoffs. Judge has had his fair share of postseason issues in his career, but if he can overcome them, this New York offense will be difficult to stop.

There's no doubt that the Guardians are good at Bibee's starts – they've won over 72 percent of them – but I'm not convinced they'll win this match.

Cole was completely out of action in Game 4 of the ALDS against Kansas City, pitching one-run ball for seven innings, consistent with his strong finish to the regular season. In September, Cole had a 2.53 ERA in five starts, allowing one or fewer earned runs in four of those outings.

Cleveland's offense hasn't exactly turned heads so far in the postseason, and its bullpen has taken a step back after ranking No. 1 in MLB in ERA during the regular season.

Since Bibee hasn't worked deep into games this postseason, I'm worried that Cleveland can cobble together another 12 or more outs on Tuesday night after claiming the bullpen in Game 1.

As for the Yankees, they've only allowed one run out of the postseason, and now they'll hopefully get some length out of their ace.

I trust Cole to give the Yankees a 2-0 series lead on Tuesday.

Pick: Yankees Moneyline (-170)

Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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