Cleveland vs Tigers Odds, Lines, and Pick
By Chris Amberley in MLB Baseball
Published:
- Cleveland is a -205 road favorite over Detroit on Opening Day (April 1, 1:10 pm ET)
- Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber will get the ball for Cleveland, while the Tigers will counter with Matthew Boyd
- Read below for a preview and betting prediction for the game
Baseball is back, and one of the first games on Thursday’s jammed-pack Opening Day slate features Cleveland and Detroit at 1:10 pm ET. Cleveland was a playoff team for the fourth time in five seasons in 2020, while the Tigers had the third fewest wins in the Majors.
Cleveland vs Detroit Odds
| Team | Run Line | Moneyline at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | -1.5 (-118) | -205 | O 7.5 (+102) |
| Detroit Tigers | +1.5 (+100) | +170 | U 7.5 (-124) |
Odds as of March 31st.
Not surprisingly, Cleveland is a heavy -205 favorite over Detroit, in a contest that features a low total of just 7.5. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber will get the ball for Cleveland, while the Tigers will send Matthew Boyd to the mound, which should sit just fine with the Cleveland bats.
Cleveland Crushed Boyd Last Season
Boyd will be looking to bounce back from an abysmal 2020 campaign. The left-hander was 3-7 in 12 starts, posting a 6.71 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He allowed 15 runs in only 60.1 innings, and surrendered a hard hit rate of 37%, the highest of his six-year career.
Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Indians (14) https://t.co/2mPedfWrYn
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) September 20, 2020
Boyd was 0-2 in two starts against Cleveland, allowing 7 runs in 10.1 innings of work. He’s 2-6 lifetime versus them, and even though Cleveland lost Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana over the offseason, this team still has plenty of pop.
Cleveland Career Stats vs Boyd
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bauers | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .091 |
| Ben Gamel | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 |
| Cesar Hernandez | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .222 |
| Jordan Luplow | 13 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | .308 |
| Roberto Perez | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .400 |
| Jose Ramirez | 32 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 | .250 |
| Franmil Reyes | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 |
| Eddie Rosario | 38 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 8 | .211 |
They added slugger Eddie Rosario from Minnesota, who belted 13 home runs in 57 games last season, and went deep 32 times in 2019. Jose Ramirez will likely hit in front of Rosario, and is coming off a very strong 2020 campaign as well.
José RamÃrez has homered in every single inning of exhibition, non-league play this season.#CLESpring pic.twitter.com/CwfN9xn9Z1
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 30, 2021
The 28-year-old hit 17 home runs last season, the fourth most in baseball, and is just two years removed from a 39 home run campaign. Big things are expected from both him and Rosario this season, and a matchup against Boyd represents a fantastic opportunity to start the year off with a bang.
Bieber Coming Off Unbelievable Campaign
The Tiger bats meanwhile, are in for a rough afternoon against Bieber. The 25-year-old led MLB in wins, ERA and WAR (among pitchers) in 2020, and will be counted on to anchor the Cleveland rotation once again. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of 12 regular season starts last year, and was 2-0 versus Detroit.
Shane Bieber is your 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, and there was never a doubt.#OurTribe pic.twitter.com/uSrksMhM39
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) November 11, 2020
He held the Tigers to 3 runs over 14.2 innings of work, striking out 21 and walking just three. He struck out double-digit batters in 10 of his 12 regular season starts, including 14 on Opening Day against Kansas City.
Tigers Career Stats vs Bieber
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel Cabrera | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .167 |
| Daz Cameron | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Jeimer Candelario | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .133 |
| Harold Castro | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Willi Castro | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | .167 |
| Niko Goodrum | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .077 |
| Grayson Greiner | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
| Robbie Grossman | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .429 |
| JaCoby Jones | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Nomar Mazara | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Wilson Ramos | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Victor Reyes | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| Jonathan Schoop | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .231 |
Detroit’s lineup certainly won’t strike fear in the reigning Cy Young Award winner, especially given his dominance over future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera. Bieber has held the 10-time All-Star and two-time MVP to just two hits in 12 at-bats, striking him out four times.
Cash In With Cleveland
So far 75% of the bets are on Cleveland and 70% of the money. It’s hard to argue with those numbers given the pitching advantage Cleveland has, and their recent dominance over Detroit.
Shane Bieber, Filthy Knuckle Curve & Slider. 😷😷 pic.twitter.com/AodXM6dDg3
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2021
They’ve beaten the Tigers 23 times in their past 26 matchups, and were 7-3 against them last season. Cleveland was 8-4 against the runline in Bieber starts in 2020, and Detroit currently profiles as one of the weakest teams in the league. The Tigers are projected to score the ninth fewest runs, allow the third most, and finish with the fifth worst record in baseball.
Pick: Cleveland -1.5 (-118)
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
