The MLB betting action goes on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, with the closing contest of a four-game AL Central series at Comerica Park in Detroit, so we bring you the best Guardians vs. Tigers betting pick and odds.  

Tuesday’s Game 3 of this set has been excluded from the analysis, while the Tigers outlasted the Guardians in Monday’s doubleheader, 4-1 and 5-3. Detroit is still a +147 home underdog for the series finale, according to Bookmaker Sportsbook. 

The Guardians have struggled mightily of late                                          

The Cleveland Guardians dropped to 40-38 on the season following Monday’s twin bill at Comerica Park. They’ve lost four of their previous five games and nine of their previous 13 outings at any location, so the Guardians were sitting at the second spot in the AL Central on Tuesday, three and a half games behind the Minnesota Twins. 

In the last couple of weeks, Cleveland was slashing a miserable .217/.291/.340 across 526 at-bats. The Guardians’ pitching staff has struggled in that span, too, compiling a 5.31 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and .276 opposing batting average. 

Shane Bieber will take the mound Wednesday at Comerica Park. The 27-year-old righty is 3-4 with a solid 3.16 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 93/22 K/BB ratio in 15 starts (91 innings) this season. He’s allowed three earned runs in three of his previous four starts. Bieber meets the Tigers for the third time in 2022 after going 1-1 in his previous two dates with the Cats. 

The Tigers hope to finish their seven-game homestand strong           

The Detroit Tigers bounced back from a disappointing 2-1 defeat in a three-game home series against the Kansas City Royals. They improved to 32-47 on the season following Monday’s doubleheader against the Guardians and will try to finish their seven-game homestand on a high note. 

Detroit still owns the lowest-scoring offense in the big leagues, averaging 3.04 runs per game. The Tigers have slashed a decent .251/.314/.397 in the last couple of weeks and 406 at-bats, while their pitching staff has accounted for a mediocre 4.24 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and .231 opposing batting average. 

Michael Pineda will get the nod Wednesday and meet the Guardians for the first time this season. The 33-year-old right-hander is 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in six starts (27.1 innings) in 2022. After spending nearly seven weeks on the IL, Big Mike returned last Friday and took a loss in a 3-1 defeat to Kansas City. He gave up three earned runs on seven hits across five frames of work. 

Trends:

Cleveland: 

  • 6-1 in Shane Bieber’s last seven starts 
  • 8-4 in the last 12 games on the road 

Detroit:

  • 6-14 in the last 20 games against the American League 

Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers Pick 

The current Tigers have 29 hits, a .434 OPS, and a whopping 52 strikeouts in 152 at-bats against Shane Bieber, who’s 7-3 with a pristine 2.18 ERA in ten career starts against Detroit. Also, Bieber is 6-1 with a sparkling 1.79 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in seven starts and 50.1 innings of work at Comerica Park, so give me the Guardians at the moneyline odds. 

Detroit has shown signs of life at the plate lately, but I’m expecting Shane Bieber to shut the Tigers down. On the other side, the current Guardians have 13 hits and .715 OPS across 41 at-bats versus Michael Pineda, who’s still building up his form and stamina following a finger injury. 

Pick: Take Cleveland Guardians at -159                                      

The Total:

In his previous date with the Tigers, Shane Bieber tossed eight innings of a one-run ball. I don’t expect Detroit to score more than a couple of runs this time around, while the Guardians’ recent form certainly doesn’t suggest fireworks. 

The under is 5-1-1 in the previous seven encounters between the Guardians and Tigers. I would ride this betting trend, looking for another bad day in the office for both offenses. 

Pick: Go under 7.5 runs at -120