At 1:08 PM ET, the Tigers and Guardians face off in an AL Central matchup. This one is being played at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and the Guardians are favored on the money line (+102). The money line odds for the Tigers are sitting at -120, and the over/under line is at 6 runs.
Matthew Boyd is starting for the Tigers, and he is facing off against Tarik Skubal for the Guardians. Cleveland comes into the game on a two-game losing streak, and their record of 92-69 has them first in the AL Central. The Tigers are 3rd in the division with an overall record of 86-76.
Detroit vs. Cleveland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Tigers at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Saturday, October 12th
- Betting Odds DET -120 | CLE +102 O/U 6
Tigers vs Guardians Last Game Recap
Cleveland picked up a 5-4 road win over the Tigers in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a two-run lead going into the 9th inning, and the Tigers could only muster one run in their half of the 9th. Heading into the game, the Guardians were favored at -124 on the money line.
Tanner Bibee got the start for the Guardians, going just four innings while giving up two runs and striking out three. Hunter Gaddis got the win out of the bullpen, and Emmanuel Clase got the save. Beau Brieske took the loss for the Tigers out of the bullpen.
Offensively, the Guardians were led by David Fry and Jose Ramirez, who each homered. Fry, Steven Kwan, and Lane Thomas each had two RBIs. For the Tigers, Zach McKinstry hit the game's only other home run and went 1/2 with three RBIs.
Tigers Preview
Facing a must-win game on the road, the Tigers are looking to snap a two-game losing streak and keep their playoff hopes alive against Cleveland. Detroit finished the regular season with a 43-38 record both at home and on the road. As favorites, they went 41-26, while posting a 49-52 mark as underdogs.
Detroit’s run line record for the season stands at 91-77, including 54-31 on the road. As underdogs, they went 66-35 against the run line. The Tigers’ games have averaged 8.1 runs this season, while today’s over/under line sits at 6 runs. Their over/under record is 79-83.
Tarik Skubal gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces the Guardians on the road. This year, he has made 31 starts and has a record of 18-4 with an ERA of 2.39. Skubal's WHIP for the season is .92, and he is coming off a start in which he didn't allow a run. In that outing, he went seven innings and gave up just three hits. Skubal has been pitching well recently, as he hasn't lost a game since August 11th. Opponents are batting .200 off the left-hander this season.
For the season, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .234, and their team on-base percentage is just .300, which is 21st in the league. Detroit's team slugging percentage is also just 19th in the MLB.
Kerry Carpenter comes into the game as the Tigers' leading hitter, with a batting average of .284. However, he has hit just .217 over his last eight games. Carpenter has 18 homers this season, which is 2nd on the team, and his 57 RBIs is 3rd. Riley Greene leads the team in RBIs (74) and is batting .262 for the season.
Guardians Preview
Facing a must-win game against Detroit, Cleveland looks to snap a two-game losing streak. The Guardians finished the regular season at 92-69, including a 50-30 home record and a 42-39 mark on the road. As favorites, they went 66-37 but struggled as underdogs, posting a 28-34 record.
Today's over/under line of six runs is notably low, with 101.9% of Cleveland's games featuring higher totals this season. Their overall O/U record is 69-84, while they went 83-82 against the run line.
Matthew Boyd has made eight starts for the Guardians this season and has a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 2.72. He has made three quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he didn't allow a run. Against the Tigers on October 7th, Boyd went 4 2/3 innings, giving up no earned runs, two walks, and four hits. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Boyd has had a bit of an issue with the long ball, as he has given up four homers. Looking back at his last four outings, Boyd has finished with a no-decision in each one.
Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been the Guardians' top power threats this season, with Ramirez leading the team with 39 homers and Naylor right behind him at 31. Ramirez's 118 RBIs are also the best in the league, while Naylor is 6th in the MLB with 108 RBIs. Ramirez has been especially hot of late, hitting .321 over his last eight games with three homers. Steven Kwan is also swinging a hot bat, going 10/21 in his last six games.
Overall, the Guardians are averaging 4.4 runs per game and have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.6 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .238, which is 14th in the league, and their collective OBP of .307 is also just 15th in the MLB.
Tigers vs. Guardians Prediction: Tigers ML -120
Our prediction for this Tigers vs. Guardians matchup is that the Tigers will come out on top by a score of 3-2. With the Tigers predicted to win, we recommend taking them on the money line, where you can get them at -120.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Tarik Skubal going six innings and finishing with six strikeouts. As for Matthew Boyd, we have him going six innings and finishing with five strikeouts.
