Tigers vs Guardians Odds, Spread, and Total
The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers kick off the postseason Tuesday, continuing their division rivalry and nail-biter end to the regular season. Game 1 of the American League Wild Card…
The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers kick off the postseason Tuesday, continuing their division rivalry and nail-biter end to the regular season. Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series starts at 1 p.m. EST at Progressive Field.
The Guardians (88-74) claimed the division crown, finishing one game ahead of Detroit (87–75) after trailing the Tigers by 15.5 games in July. Cleveland took 5 of 6 from the Tigers in September to set the stage for their postseason showdown.
Detroit hands the ball to ace left-hander Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21 ERA), who delivered one of the best seasons in baseball with 241 strikeouts and an AL-best 0.89 WHIP. Against Cleveland, he was nearly unhittable, giving up only two earned runs and 16 hits in 28 innings while striking out 40.
Cleveland counters with right-hander Gavin Williams (12-5, 3.06 ERA), who fared well against Detroit this season, allowing just two runs across three starts while striking out 29 in 17 innings.
At the plate, the Tigers are powered by Riley Greene's 36 homers and 111 RBIs, along with steady production from Zach McKinstry. Cleveland leans on perennial All-Star Jose Ramirez, who led the Guardians with a .283 average, 30 homers, and 85 RBIs.
Spread
- Tigers -1.5 (+125)
- Guardians +1.5 (-134)
Moneyline
- Tigers -159
- Guardians +147
Total
- Over 6 (-104)
- Under 6 (-105)
Note: The above data was collected on Sept. 30, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Tigers vs Guardians Betting Trends
- The Tigers are 2-8 against the spread over their last 10 games.
- The Guardians are 7-3 in their last 10 but 5-5 against the spread.
- The Tigers are winless in their last five times playing as the favorites.
- The Guardians have won both of their last two games when named the underdog.
- The total has gone under in all of the Tigers' past 5 games to close the regular season.
- The under has hit in 14 of the Guardians' last 19 games.
Tigers vs Guardians Injury Reports
Tigers
- Reese Olson, SP — 60-day IL (shoulder).
- Sawyer Gipson-Long, RP — 15-day IL (neck).
- Colt Keith, 2B — 10-day IL (back).
- Matt Vierling, CF — 10-day IL (oblique).
Guardians
- Nolan Jones, RF — 10-day IL (oblique).
- David Fry, 1B — 10-day IL (head).
- John Means, SP — 60-day IL (elbow).
- Nic Enright, RP — 15-day IL (elbow/forearm).
Tigers vs Guardians Predictions and Picks
"September records are not correlated with postseason success, and though the Tigers have backed their way in, they get Tarik Skubal in Game One and then just have to (theoretically at least) find a way to pitching-chaos their way to another win in the next two. The Guardians have won more than their offensive numbers suggest they should, and that magic could run out any day." — Eno Sarris, The Athletic
"Neither lineup is looking forward to this matchup. Skubal also seems to bring the best out of the Progressive Field crowd (the press box literally shook as Lane Thomas rounded the bases last October in Game 5 of the ALDS). Although the Guardians have some incredibly positive momentum, it's difficult to ever go against Skubal, and the Guardians finding a way to beat him yet again feels like playing with house money. I'll take the Tigers to scratch out a 2-1 win in Game 1." — Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal
"The Guardians won 24 of their final 32 games, leading MLB with a 2.72 ERA. Before that stretch, the Guardians ranked 15th with a 3.97 ERA in their first 130 games. The pitching — especially the starting rotation — is bound to regress, and with one of the weakest offenses in baseball, that could crush the Guardians. Meanwhile, the Tigers boast the more balanced roster with the best pitcher in the world and a stronger offense, putting them in position to end the Guardians' magical run." — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press
