Carlos Santana and the Cleveland Indians will be taking on their divisional rival Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in a Thursday showdown. The matchup will get going at 1:10 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to Fox Sports Detroit to catch the action.
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers Odds
Bookmakers have Cleveland (-140) as the favorite over Detroit (+130). If you’re thinking the game’s total is going to go below 8.5 runs scored, then Vegas is putting up -110 odds to play the under. Picking the over will give you -110 odds. There’s a runline of Indians -1.5 (+105) and Tigers +1.5 (-125) for this matchup.
The Indians are 7-4 SU and have gone 5-5 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 3.1 units for moneyline gamblers through the early part of the season, despite having lost 0.4 units ATS. Cleveland has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the total has gone over in four of those seven. The Tigers, on the other hand, are 8-4 SU and 7-4 ATS. They’ve gained 5.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 1.6 units ATS. Detroit has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven.
Detroit games have an over/under record of 3-8 so far in 2019. Cleveland has an over/under record of 5-5.
Shane Bieber (0-0, 3.38 ERA) is getting the nod for the visiting Indians. The right-handed Bieber struck out 118 hitters across 114 innings last year (19 starts) but finished the season 11-5 overall with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. He made two starts against Detroit in 2018 and put together a 1-1 record against the Tigers with a 3.46 ERA and 13 strikeouts.
The Tigers will put the ball in the hands of righty Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 4.09 ERA), who struck out 15 hitters in 16 innings last year (with only four walks). Turnbull finished the season 0-2 overall with a 6.06 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.
Cleveland’s pitching staff allowed 3.2 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 3.13 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 12.51 K/9. The bullpen has an outstanding ERA of just 2.20, along with a K-per-9 of 10.19.
The Indians offense has yet to get it going, hitting just .186/.274/.311 on its way to 3.5 runs scored per game in 2019, including over the team’s last five outings (4-1 SU).
First baseman Carlos Santana and right fielder Tyler Naquin have led Cleveland’s hitters. Santana is hitting .378/.465/.541 with 14 hits, eight RBIs and seven runs scored, while Naquin is hitting .296 with eight hits, one RBI and two runs scored.
For the home team, Detroit’s pitchers have allowed 2.9 runs per game overall this season. Its starters have a 2.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 2.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 8.4 K/9. In five divisional games, Tigers starters have an ERA of 2.73 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.38.
Detroit’s offense has put up 2.8 runs per outing, including 4.2 per game against divisional foes and 4.2 per game over its last five. The team has hit .253/.342/.401 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that span.
Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos have led the Tigers’ offense this year. Cabrera is hitting .286/.400/.310 with 12 hits, three RBIs and two runs scored, and the line for Castellanos stands at .255/.340/.383 with 12 hits, two RBIs and seven runs.
The Indians have gained 3.9 units and are 4-4 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in three of those games, compared to five that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Tigers have netted 5.3 units and are 7-4 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has cashed in three of those games, compared to eight that’ve gone under.
Indians vs. Tigers Free MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Indians, ATS Winner – Indians, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The over has cashed in four of Cleveland’s last seven outings.
- The Tigers have won six of their last seven games SU.
- Cleveland has posted 16.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 games and 16.8 over its last five.
- The Indians have hit eight home runs in their last 10 games, including six over their last five.
- The Indians have a team OPS of .585 this season and an OPS of .580 against right-handed pitchers. The Tigers’ OPS stands at .601 overall and .593 against righties.
