- Get MLB expert picks and analysis for Tigers vs. Guardians.
- The Tigers are -160 favorites in Game 1.
- Detroit is -110 to win the series.
A pair of American League Central rivals will face off in a best-of-three series in the wild-card round, starting with Game 1 at 1:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Progressive Field on ESPN.
The Cleveland Guardians won the division to earn home-field advantage following an epic collapse by the Detroit Tigers, who led by as many as 14 games in early July. However, none of that matters in a best-of-three playoff series.
With Tarik Skubal getting the start in Game 1, Detroit is a significant favorite to win the opener in a coin-flip series.
Here’s a look at the latest MLB odds and my Tigers vs. Guardians prediction ahead of Game 1:
Tigers vs. Guardians Odds for Game 1
- Tigers moneyline: -160
- Guardians moneyline: +135
- Total: 6
Tigers vs. Guardians Prediction for Game 1
Based on the initial MLB betting lines, I’m targeting the series price on Detroit for my favorite Tigers vs. Guardians prediction ahead of Tuesday’s Game 1 in Cleveland.
Despite being -160 favorites to win Game 1, the Tigers are only -110 to win the wild-card series against the Guardians. But it can’t be overstated how much of an advantage it is to start the league’s best pitcher and win the opener in a short series.
There have been 12 matchups in the three seasons since MLB changed the wild-card format to this best-of-three series. The winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the series all 12 times. Only two of those series have even made it to Game 3.
Given that history, it makes more sense to take the shorter series price as opposed to laying a considerable number with the Tigers on Tuesday. They saved Skubal over the weekend, knowing this game meant more than winning the division.
Skubal faced the Guardians four times this season, posting a 0.64 ERA in 28 innings. He struck out 40 batters and walked five, surrendering two earned runs and 16 hits.
Even if the Guardians weren’t facing Skubal, this is not a lineup I’m comfortable backing in October. They ranked 28th in wRC+ this year, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies.
Detroit might have squandered its division lead down the stretch, but this week is an opportunity to make everyone forget all about that with a playoff victory.
Prediction: Tigers series ML (-110)
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