Tigers vs. Guardians May 20: AL Central Rivals Clash in Cleveland Betting Preview
The Cleveland Guardians face the Detroit Tigers in their first of 19 meetings this season at Progressive Field. Despite Cleveland's overall stronger offensive performance this season, they enter as slight underdogs (-105) against Detroit (-112).
Pitching Matchup:
- Tigers: Tarik Skubal (2.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 45 Ks in 39.2 innings)
- Guardians: Aaron Civale (9.85 ERA, 1.74 WHIP)
Key Stats:
- Guardians: .245 batting average, 4.7 runs per game (7th in MLB), MLB-low 260 strikeouts
- Tigers: .222 batting average, .603 OPS (29th in MLB), MLB-low 20 home runs
Game Notes:
- Over/Under set at 8.5 runs (-120 for Over)
- Jose Ramirez likely out after fouling ball off shin
- Cleveland has lost 5 of last 6 games
- Tigers coming off sweep of Baltimore Orioles
- Skubal hasn't allowed a run in last 14 innings
- Civale went 3-0 vs Detroit in 2021 (5 ER in 22.2 IP)
The Guardians look to bounce back from recent struggles and close the 4.5-game gap with division-leading Minnesota Twins. Despite recent offensive woes (3 or fewer runs in 4 of last 6 games), they face a Tigers team that has struggled to score consistently all season.
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The key matchup will be Cleveland's slumping offense against Skubal's recent dominant form, while Civale aims to recapture his 2021 success against Detroit.