The Detroit Tigers scored a season-high 11 runs on Tuesday to outlast the Cleveland Guardians, 11-7. While the run scoring was important, the key to victory was the bullpen, which tossed seven shutout innings.
New registrants of BetMGM Sportsbook can receive a First Bet Offer Get Up To $1,500 Paid Back In bonus bets, if their first bet loses. You can also receive $200 in Bonus Bets if you wager $10.
Spencer Torkelson is in a funk that can’t be explained: more than 30 games into the season and the Detroit first baseman is still seeking his first home run. On this afternoon, maybe the fates will swing in Tork’s favor.
- Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians
- May 8, 1:10 PM ET
- Progressive Field, Cleveland OH
Betting odds for Tigers vs. Guardians
- Detroit (+120), Cleveland (-142)
- Detroit +1.5 (-184), Cleveland -1.5 (+152)
- Over 8 Runs (+100), Under 8 Runs (-122)
Pitching matchup for Tigers vs. Guardians
Reese Olson (0-4, 2.70 ERA, 31 K in 33.1 IP)
There is an old saying that goes “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” That’s how the season is going for Olson, who has received only four runs of support in his last four starts.
Detroit hopes they didn’t use all their runs on Tuesday, so they can finally help Olson get his first win of the 2024 campaign. If Olson does struggle, the bullpen still has rested arms to match up against José Ramírez and the Guardians.
Tanner Bibee (2-1, 4.46 ERA, 39 K in 36.1 IP)
This is the third career start for Bibee against the Tigers, and in his first two, it did not go well. Bibee has allowed seven earned runs in 8.2 IP against Detroit. Most troubling for Cleveland: Bibee has allowed 13 baserunners.
Something will give Wednesday when Olson and Bibee square off in the sunshine near the shore of Lake Erie: either Reese will get his first win, or Bibee will get his first against the Tigers.
Best Bet
Odds for this run line on Detroit are -111 from FanDuel Sportsbook. Wager $111, and if the Tigers score more than 3 runs, you win $100.
FanDuel Sportsbook: Detroit Over 3.5 Runs (-111)
Best Bet Scorecard: -$83 for the season
Same Game Parlay
We used the Same Game Parlay builder tool and our FanDuel welcome bonus to create this wager. Odds are +393, which means a $100 winning bet will earn $393.
- 2+ Hits Recorded in 1st Inning
- Detroit Over 3.5 Runs
- First 5 Innings Result: Detroit Ahead
Game Prediction
The best player on the field Wednesday afternoon will be José Ramírez. But this isn’t the NBA: baseball is decided typically through one-on-one matchups, often between players you can’t imagine. But Detroit can win this series if they stay away from the hot bat of Ramírez, who has 29 career HR in 144 games against Detroit, and his OPS is over 950 with a .302 average. A menace he seems to be, and a menace he is when he swings the lumber against the Tigers.
We like Detroit to continue to score runs on the road, and salvage a series win on this short road trip.
Sidelines Group provides MLive with original sports betting, lottery and casino content including odds, analysis, predictions and reviews to educate bettors. Please bet responsibly.