Guardians vs. Tigers Prediction and Odds for Thursday, May 26 (Tarik Skubal Riding an 18 Inning Scoreless Streak)

The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers get another crack at each other after splitting games last weekend in a short two-game series.

The pair of AL Central rivals pick things back up on Thursday when they kick off a four-game series at Comerica Park. Both teams are struggling this year but the Guardians have a slight edge in the standings despite being well under .500. I realized things were bad for the Guardians when they went 0-2 against the Cincinnati Reds last week; getting outscored 9-6. 

The Tigers, meanwhile, are getting beat by everyone. They have won multiple games in a series just twice this year, but they only managed to do so against two of the worst teams in the league in the Orioles and Royals. 

Here are the odds for this game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. 

Guardians vs. Tigers Odds, Run Line, and Total

Run Line

• Guardians +1.5 (-175)
• Tigers -1.5 (+145)

Moneyline:

• Guardians: +125
• Tigers: -135

Total:

• 7.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Guardians vs. Tigers Prediction and Pick

I feel like picking between two bad teams is often harder than picking between two contenders. Bad teams are more unpredictable and I expect this game to feature a few twists and turns.

Despite the Tigers having a worse team overall, the Guardians have a big problem on the mound in the form of Aaron Civale. The 26-year-old enters with a 2-3 record, 7.84 ERA, and 1.52 WHIP in 31 innings. However, Civale pitched a phenomenal game on Friday against the Tigers in his only good start of the year. Civale threw 6 ⅓ innings without giving up an earned run. He struck out three, walked one, and allowed just three hits. Just like bad teams, bad players tend to be unpredictable as well. Civale had given up exactly six runs in three of his previous four games and then tossed a gem against the Tigers. 

Tarik Skubal takes the mound for Detroit in the hopes of dominating the Guardians for the second game in a row. Skubal pitched five scoreless innings last week against Cleveland before the bullpen imploded and lost the game. The big difference is that Skubal hasn’t given up an earned run in his last three starts spanning 18 innings. And while the Guardians have a top 10 offense, they were unable to plate a single run against him last week. 

I’m willing to bet that Civale reverts back to being a punching bag while Skubal continues his hot streak. 

Pick: Tigers ML (-135)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE