The Guardians (75-84, 33-45 away) travel to take on the Tigers (76-83, 35-43 home) in game one of this AL Central matchup. Cal Quantrill is getting the start for the Guardians while Joey Wentz is starting for the Tigers. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers showdown at Comerica Park.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS DETROIT TIGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Detroit Tigers -107

This game will be played at Comerica Park at 6:40 ET on Friday, September 29th.

WHY BET THE DETROIT TIGERS:

  • In their ten most recent games as the favorite, the Guardians have gone just 3-7 straight-up.
  • The Tigers are 8-2 straight-up in their ten most recent games as the favorite.
  • The Guardians are just 1-2 in Cal Quantrill’s last five starts.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

With an overall record of 75-84, the Guardians are 3rd in the AL Central. When playing at home, they are 42-39 and 33-45. So far, Cleveland has a record of 35-35 against below .500 teams and have played in 49 series, going 20-24-5.

The Guardians will rely on starter Cal Quantrill, who has a 3-7 record this season. Across 18 appearances, his ERA is 5.13 and his K/9 is 5.23. His FIP is 4.74 and opposing batters have an OBP of .328 against him.

Cal Quantrill was dealt the loss in his last start against Baltimore, as he allowed one run on five hits in the Guardians’ 2-1 defeat.

During their last five games, Cleveland is the 15th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .235 and are averaging 4.4 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Guardians are hitting .250 with an OBP of .313 while averaging 4.1 runs per contest. This figure puts them 26th in the league.

Andrés Giménez has been a key contributor to the Guardians’ offense in their last ten games, leading the team with two home runs and bringing his season total to 15. The shortstop has also posted an overall batting average of .254.

WILL THE DETROIT TIGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Heading into their 159th game of the season, the Tigers have an overall record of 76-83, and have a win percentage of just 44.9% at home. Currently, Detroit is 2nd in the AL Central and has a 19-26-6 record across their 51 series.

Joey Wentz has not had the season he was hoping for in 2023, as his record stands at 3-12 with 24 appearances. His ERA is 6.45 and his K/9 is 8.36, while his FIP and OBP are 5.57 and .344 respectively.

The Tigers were unable to get the win in Joey Wentz’s most recent start, falling 4-1 to the Athletics. The southpaw went 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two earned runs on three hits.

This season, the Tigers are 27th in the league at 4 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .226 (21st) leading to 4.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.1 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Detroit’s on-base percentage of .303 has them 21st in the MLB.

Over the Tigers’ last five games, Parker Meadows has been a standout offensively, leading the team in hits with a .487 batting average. This season, he is hitting .241 and has 11 RBIs.