Thursday’s Tigers vs. Guardians matchup features Spencer Howard for Cleveland and Jack Flaherty for the Tigers. First pitch from Comerica Park is set for 1:10 PM ET, and the Tigers are favored on the money line (-132). The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.
Cleveland is currently 1st in the AL Central with a record of 57-34, while the Tigers are 4th in the division at 44-49.
Guardians Aim to Extend Winning Streak as Howard Takes the Mound Against Tigers
The Cleveland Guardians are 57-34 overall and lead the AL Central by five games. They are 15-12 in divisional games this year. Cleveland is 30-11 at home and 27-23 on the road. The Guardians are 24-10 in day games. Overall, they are 20-7-2 in series this year and have won two straight. Cleveland is sending Spencer Howard to the mound today, and he is 1-1 with a 5.62 ERA over his last seven appearances. His last time out, he gave up six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The over/under line for today’s game between the Guardians and Tigers is set at 8 runs. Cleveland has an over/under record of 46-39 this year, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, they are 7-7-2. Cleveland’s offense is 6th in scoring at 4.9 runs per game, and their ISO of .165 is 5th. José Ramírez has 23 home runs and 77 RBIs, and Josh Naylor has 22 home runs and 70 RBIs. Naylor is hitting .316 over his last 10 games, and both Andrés Giménez and Angel Martínez are on 4-game hitting streaks.
Tigers Look to Extend Winning Streak as Flaherty Takes the Mound Against Guardians
The Detroit Tigers are 44-49 this season and trail the Guardians by 14 games in the AL Central. They are 15-13 in divisional matchups. Detroit is 21-23 at home and 23-26 on the road. They are 20-19 as the favorite and 24-30 as the underdog. The Tigers have gone 7-3 over their last 10 games and are 11-14-4 in series matchups this season. Their over/under record is 49-41, and they are 11-10-2 when the line is set at 8 runs. The over has hit in their last two games.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Tigers today, and he is 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA this season. Flaherty’s WHIP is currently 1.00. The Tigers offense ranks 21st in runs per game and is hitting .231 as a team, which is 16th in the league. Riley Greene leads the team with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs. Matt Vierling has 12 home runs and 38 RBIs. Colt Keith is hitting .382 over his last 9 games with 4 home runs and 8 RBIs. Wenceel Pérez is on a 6-game hitting streak for the Tigers.
Guardians Favored in Tight Battle Against Tigers: Money Line Pick at +112
Our pick for this Guardians vs. Tigers matchup is to take the Guardians on the money line, with the payout sitting at +112. We actually have the Guardians winning this one by a score of 6-4, giving us a little bit of wiggle room with the over/under line, which is currently at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Spencer Howard finishing with seven strikeouts, and for Jack Flaherty, we have him picking up six K’s. Flaherty is currently projected to go deeper into the game, but we still have Howard finishing with a better ERA.
