The AL Central race should prove fascinating over the final stretch of the regular season as there are four teams with realistic shots at the division title. Two of them continue a rivalry series this evening when the surging Detroit Tigers host a struggling Cleveland Guardians group for the second game of three. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET at Comerica Park.
Let’s dive in with a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s Guardians vs. Tigers game courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Guardians vs. Tigers prediction, preview
These two clubs are trending in opposite directions at the moment. The Guardians are headed the wrong way, dropping seven of their last 10 games and dropping to 58-61 at fourth in the AL Central; their run differential clocks in at -27. Meanwhile, the Tigers are hot as can be, winning seven of their last 10 contests to move to third in the division at 58-60 with a +87 differential. The records since the All-Star break speak for themselves – Cleveland is only 7-15 while Detroit is 14-8. Those results are good for second worst and fourth best among all MLB clubs.
For the visiting Guardians, RHP Tanner Bibee (4-11) draws the start today. He’s arguably been unlucky with that record, as a 3.85 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP are far from bad by any means. His K% of 19.7% isn’t much with just 110 punchouts over 138.0 IP, but he does bring a 6.8% BB% as well. The club’s bullpen also sits ninth in ERA at 3.84 with a 1.28 WHIP and a nice 16.0% K-BB%.
The starter for the Tigers is RHP Drew Anderson (4-4), who carries a 4.01 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP into today’s outing. He’s struck out 78 hitters over 67.1 IP for a rock-solid 26.9% K%, though a 9.0% BB% is on the higher side. However, his underlying numbers are good and the relief staff ranks fourth in ERA at 3.49 with a 1.20 WHIP and a 14.4% K-BB%.
The bats couldn’t be more different. On the full campaign, Cleveland’s OPS of .681 ranks second-to-last among all MLB clubs and the group averages only 3.97 runs per game, third fewest. A .303 wOBA falls second-to-last as well, as does a .136 ISO and the 114 homers that have come off these bats. There’s not much to like about this production, but at least the .236/.312/.380 slash line and .692 OPS against right-handers are better than the club’s numbers against lefties.
Detroit, however, has seen plenty of success at the plate, especially as of late. The Tigers average 4.57 runs per game and rank 11th in OPS at .729, also slotting in at 10th in wOBA (.321), ninth in ISO (.165) and 12th in home runs (144). Since the All-Star break along, the club is slashing a red-hot .279/.348/.453 with an .801 OPS, so they’re seeing the ball incredibly well. Plus, the split against righties looks solid at .247/.319/.419 with a .738 OPS on the year overall.
Guardians vs. Tigers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Tigers as -124 Moneyline favorite at home tonight, while the Guardians enter as +115 underdogs to win on the road. The run total is set at an even eight.
Anderson typically comes out of the bullpen and won’t see a ton of innings as a result, but across his three prior starts this season, he did go around three or four frames in each. He just tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in his most recent start last week and was certainly effective in the other two games he started as well. The Detroit bullpen is also locked in, amassing a 3.18 ERA since the All-Star break, so that works nicely in the club’s favor as well against a lineup that has struggled pretty much all year. Granted, Bibee has been a quality starter this season, but he’s not really an arm to fear. With the Tigers averaging a whopping six runs per game in 22 outings since the break, it’s just too tough to bet against them here. They should stay hot.
