The Tigers (54-66, 28-33 away) travel to take on the Guardians (58-63, 31-28 home) in game one of this AL Central matchup. Tarik Skubal is getting the start for the Tigers while Xzavion Curry is starting for the Guardians. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians showdown at Progressive Field.

DETROIT TIGERS VS CLEVELAND GUARDIANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Detroit Tigers -123

This game will be played at Progressive Field at 7:15 ET on Thursday, August 17th.

WHY BET THE DETROIT TIGERS:

  • The Tigers will be taking on a Guardians club that is just 4-6 over their last ten games.
  • As the favorite on the road, the Tigers’ win streak currently stands at three games.
  • Xzavion Curry has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 6.30 over his last two starts.

DETROIT TIGERS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

With an overall record of 54-66, the Tigers are 3rd in the AL Central. When playing at home, they are 26-33 and 28-33. So far, Detroit has a record of 26-26 against below .500 teams and have played in 39 series, going 15-20-4.

Tarik Skubal takes the mound for the Detroit Tigers with a 2-2 record. He has made seven appearances this season, boasting an ERA of 4.17 and a K/9 of 10.02. His FIP is an impressive 2.09, and his OBP stands at .288.

Tarik Skubal’s most recent outing ended after 5 1/3 innings, as the Tigers were defeated by the Red Sox, 5-2. Skubal allowed seven hits and four earned runs.

For the season, the Tigers’ offense is averaging 4 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 9th in the league in scoring, with a total of 22 runs. Overall, Detroit’s team batting average is .235, putting them 19th in the MLB.

Kerry Carpenter has been a key contributor to the Detroit offense this season, boasting a .286 batting average and .521 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, Carpenter has been especially impressive, leading the Tigers in hits with a .424 average.

WILL THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On an overall record of 58-63, the Guardians are 2nd in the AL Central. On the road, Cleveland has put together a record of 27-35 while going 31-28 at home. Against teams with below .500 records, the club has gone 31-31. Overall, the Guardians have played in 37 series, going 16-18-3.

Today marks Xzavion Curry’s 31st appearance of the season, and he has a 3-1 record. His ERA is 3.39 and opponents have a .281 OBP against him. He has struck out 46 batters and his WHIP is 1.19. On the road, his ERA is 4.08 while it drops to 2.29 when he pitches at home.

Xzavion Curry’s last start against the Rays ended in a no-decision, as he gave up five runs on six hits over five innings. Despite Curry’s efforts, the Guardians ultimately fell to Tampa Bay 9-8.

Offensively, Cleveland is ranked 26th in the league with an average of 4 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Guardians averaged 5.4 runs per contest, which is 4th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Cleveland is 23rd in all of baseball, with a total of 88 home runs.

José Ramírez has been a key offensive contributor for the Guardians in 2023. The third baseman is batting .286 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. He has been an integral part of the team’s success this season.