Detroit Tigers vs Cleveland Guardians Betting Pick & Prediction for AL Wild Card Game 3 on 10/2

MLB game preview

The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians will compete in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card series. Each team has won one game, making this the decider. The game will be at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 3:08 PM.

The Tigers have a regular season record of 87-75, while the Guardians finished at 88-74. Jack Flaherty will start for the Tigers, and Slade Cecconi will pitch for the Guardians. The weather forecast predicts overcast clouds with a light breeze. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Detroit Tigers Team Preview

The Detroit Tigers have shown mixed results in their recent games. On October 1st, 2025, they lost to the Cleveland Guardians 6-1, with Casey Mize starting on the mound. Mize pitched 3 innings, allowing 1 earned run and a home run.

In the game on September 30th, the Tigers managed to edge out the Guardians 2-1. Tarik Skubal delivered a strong performance, pitching 7 2/3 innings with 14 strikeouts and only 1 earned run. Riley Greene contributed with a double and a run scored.

The Tigers’ lineup features Spencer Torkelson, who leads the team with 31 home runs. Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene are also key players, both hitting above .250. Jack Flaherty is set to start the next game, holding an ERA of 4.64 this season.

Tigers vs Guardians Game Day Info

  • Sport: MLB
  • Teams: Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
  • Venue: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH
  • Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025
  • Betting Odds: Tigers Moneyline -102, Guardians Moneyline -116

Cleveland Guardians Team Preview

The Cleveland Guardians recently had a strong performance against the Detroit Tigers in their latest game. They won 6-1, with three home runs contributing to the victory. Tanner Bibee started on the mound, allowing one earned run over 4 2/3 innings.

Earlier in the series, the Guardians faced a narrow 2-1 loss to the Tigers. Gavin Williams pitched well, giving up no earned runs over six innings. Despite the loss, José Ramírez managed a hit and Gabriel Arias drove in the team’s only run.

Before facing Detroit, the Guardians had a high-scoring game against the Texas Rangers, winning 9-8. They managed 11 hits, including two home runs, to edge out the victory. Logan Allen was the starting pitcher, giving up four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

BTB Betting Pick

The Tigers are slightly favored with a moneyline of -102 compared to the Guardians at -116. The Tigers have a better batting average and slugging percentage, ranking 9th in both categories. Given their stronger hitting stats, the Tigers are projected to win 4-3. Picking the Tigers on the moneyline is a solid choice.

The total for the game is set at 7.0 with the over at -107 and the under at -113. The Tigers and Guardians both have strong pitching, with ERAs ranking 16th and 4th, respectively. This suggests a low-scoring game. The projected score of 4-3 supports taking the under 7.0 as the better option.