Tigers vs Guardians Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers (May 8)
- Cleveland is a -195 moneyline favorite in the Tigers vs Guardians odds on Monday
- Joey Wentz has surrendered 12 runs in his last 15.2 innings of work
- Keep reading for the Tigers vs Guardians predictions, odds, probable pitchers, and picks
The American League’s two lowest scoring teams square off on Monday, as the Guardians host the Tigers in Game 1 of a three-game set.
Detroit took two of three from Cleveland last month, and is the midst of its best stretch of baseball this season. However, online sportsbooks are expecting the Tigers strong play to come to a screeching halt. They pegged the Guardians as the heavy home chalk in the MLB odds, as Cleveland eyes a third straight victory.
Tigers vs Guardians Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | +165 | +1.5 (-130) | O 8 (-110) |
| Cleveland Guardians | -195 | -1.5 (+110) | U 8 (-110) |
The Guardians are currently listed as -195 moneyline favorites, in a contest with a total of 8. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 pm ET at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH, with 64 degree temperatures and a 60% chance of showers in the forecast.
Odds as of May 7th at FanDuel. Claim a FanDuel Sportsbook promo code for Monday’s MLB action.
Detroit vs Cleveland Probable Pitchers
One of the reasons oddsmakers’ are bearish on Detroit on Monday is Joey Wentz. The lefty will get the ball for the Tigers versus the Guardians, after getting shelled in his last outing. The Mets touched him up for nine hits, five runs and three homers over 6 innings, which marked the second time in three starts he’s coughed up five runs.
Wentz was sharp in seven starts as a rookie in 2022, but this season it’s been a different story. He boasts a 6.67 ERA and has already allowed four more home runs than he did last year, despite pitching four fewer winnings. In 2022, he held opponents to an impressive .195/.274/.339 slash line, but this year those numbers have ballooned to .268/.328/.473.
Wentz vs Bibee Stats
| 0-3 | Record | 1-0 |
| 6.67 | ERA | 2.45 |
| 1.41 | WHIP | 0.91 |
| .268 | OBA | .238 |
| 2.2 | SO/W Ratio | 0.0 |
The Guardians meanwhile, will counter with Tanner Bibee. The 24-year-old has looked more like an AL Cy Young odds candidate than a rookie, yielding just three runs in his first 11 innings of work. Last time out, he was very effective against the mighty Yankees, allowing only four hits and two runs over 5+ innings.
Tanner Bibee joins Logan Allen, Aaron Civale, and Luis Tiant as the only pitchers in CLE history to allow 2 ER or fewer with 5+ K in each of his first 2 career starts.pic.twitter.com/eUELFMKm4i
— Cleveland Stats (@CLE_STATS) May 3, 2023
Bibee, the number 93 overall MLB prospect heading into the season, yielded only one run over 5.2 innings in his major league debut, striking out eight Rockies along the way. He’s whiffed 13 batters already against zero walks, becoming only the second Cleveland pitcher in team history with five or more K’s and two earned runs or less in their first two starts.
Tigers vs Guardians Betting Notes
Bibee couldn’t have asked for a better matchup for his third career start. Despite winning five of six, the Tigers (15-18, 7-11 away) are still the AL’s lowest scoring team, averaging only 3.59 runs per game. They’ve performed especially bad versus righties, and even worse as visitors.
Detroit’s starters in the MLB lineups are batting just .223 against right-handed pitching, with a .635 OPS. That’s .78 points worse than versus lefties, while they’re striking out in 28% of their at-bats. On the road their average dips from .249 to .212, while their runs per game shrinks to 3.3.
As for the Guardians (16-18, 6-9 home), their lineup is just as weak. They rank just ahead of the Tigers in scoring, but behind Detroit in slugging and OPS. They’re dead last in the AL in those categories, while no team in baseball has hit fewer home runs.
"Cannon on D" by Gabriel Arias#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/lVsYgu5mOu
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 7, 2023
They rely on pitching and defense to win ball games, which is tough since they’re missing multiple starters from their rotation. Hence the need for starting Bibee’s Major League journey ahead of schedule, but so far the kid has looked like he’s right at home.
Tigers vs Guardians Predictions
Tigers and Guardians matchups breed low scoring affairs. All three of their contests in April produced fewer than seven runs, and we’re banking on this one to do the same.
Tigers vs Guardians 2023 H2H Results
| Date | Away Team | Home Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | Guardians | Tigers | CLE, 3-2 |
| April 18 | Guardians | Tigers | DET, 1-0 |
| April 18 | Guardians | Tigers | DET, 4-3 |
Wentz’s struggles have the potential to throw a wrench into those plans, but this Cleveland lineup has been incapable of finding offense lately. They’ve scored three or fewer runs in six of their last seven games, with the lone exception being a 4-3 win over Minnesota on Saturday. Each of those seven outings have fallen under eight runs, while only one of their past 12 contests has exceeded that number.
Pick: Under 8 (-110)
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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.
