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The Detroit Tigers (18-17) and Cleveland Guardians (23-12) play the middle contest of a 3-game series Tuesday at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Tigers vs. Guardians odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Guardians lead 1-0; Tigers won 9-4 in 2023
The Tigers and Guardians were tied 1-1 after the 1st inning in the series opener Monday. We had just a single run in the bottom of the 6th inning, as 3B Jose Ramirez belted a solo HR to break Hall of Famer Larry Doby’s franchise record with his 87th career go-ahead homer, hitting the right-field foul pole.
The Tigers have dropped a season-high 4 straight games, as Detroit was swept in a 3-game series against the New York Yankees over the weekend. The Under cashed Monday, and the total has gone low at a 5-3 clip in the past 8 outings.
The Guardians have won 3 in a row, limiting the opposition to exactly 1 run in each of those victories. The offense has struggled, though, going for 4 or fewer runs in 5 of the past 6 games. The Under is 7-3 across the past 10 contests.
Cleveland placed OF Steven Kwan (left hamstring strain) on the 10-day injured list Monday. He is hitting .353 and leading the American League in batting. He is expected to miss at least 4 weeks.
The team recalled top power-hitting prospect 1B Kyle Manzardo, the key piece of a deal last season with the Tampa Bay Rays for RHP Aaron Civale. Manzardo struck out 3 times in 3 at-bats as the DH in his MLB debut.
Tigers at Guardians projected starters
RHP Kenta Maeda vs. LHP Logan Allen
Maeda (1-1, 5.02 ERA) makes his 7th start. He has a 1.22 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 7.5 K/9 in 28 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Win, 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H (solo HR), 0 BB, 5 K in 4-1 home loss vs. St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday
- 2024 road splits: 0-0, 6.48 ERA, 8 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 10 H (3 HR), 1 BB, 7 K with .286 opponents’ batting average (OBA) and 1.32 WHIP in 2 starts
Allen (3-2, 5.11 ERA) makes his 8th start. He has a 1.41 WHIP, 5.6 BB/9 and 7.5 K/9 in 37 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 5 2/3 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 7 H (1 HR), 1 BB, 5 K in 8-2 road loss vs. Houston Astros Thursday
- 2024 home splits: 1-0, 7.20 ERA, 15 IP, 12 ER, 18 H (4 HR), 6 BB, 12 K with .300 OBA and 1.60 WHIP in 3 starts
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Tigers at Guardians odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:58 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Tigers +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Guardians -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Tigers +1.5 (-190) | Guardians -1.5 (+155)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Tigers at Guardians picks and predictions
Prediction
Tigers 5, Guardians 3
Moneyline
The TIGERS (+105) were on the short end of a pitcher’s duel in the series opener, a rare win for the Guardians (-125) against their AL Central rivals. Last season, Detroit won 9 of the 13 regular-season meetings.
While this is a different Cleveland team, and it has the 2nd-best record in the AL, the Tigers are worth playing in what could be a high-scoring affair.
Run line/Against the spread
The Tigers +1.5 (-190) will cost you nearly twice as much as your potential return on a standalone wager. If you need insurance, it’s not worth playing straight up, although it can be excused tossing Detroit in a multi-team parlay.
Detroit is still 9-3 in the past 12 games on the run line as the underdog, winning 6 of those outings outright.
AVOID.
Over/Under
UNDER 8.5 (-115) is the play in Game 2 of this series.
The Tigers have managed a total of just 7 runs during the team’s 4-game losing skid, and the Under is 5-3 across the past 8 contests.
For the Guardians, they’ve allowed just a single run in each of the previous 3 outings, cashing low at a 7-3 pace in the past 10 games. And the offense is good for just 18 runs in the past 6 outings, or just 3.0 runs per game.
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