Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview May 28

The Cleveland Guardians (18-23) and the Detroit Tigers (16-28) enjoyed an impromptu day off on Friday as the second game of the four-game series was canceled due to rain. This game has been rescheduled for a doubleheader on July 4.

With the series now shortened to three games, the second game will be played on Saturday as the Tigers host the Guardians at Comerica Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:10 pm ET.

After the two teams split a brief series last weekend, the Guardians will be looking to even up their current series Saturday after losing Thursday's opener 4-3. In the loss, Cleveland scored three runs on eight hits while leaving ten on base.

For Detroit, they have won two in a row and will look to extend that streak on Saturday. They are currently 10-13 this season at Comerica Park.

Despite playing on the road, the Guardians are the favorites in this one. 

Betting Odds

They are -154 to win while the Tigers' moneyline sits at +130. The runline features Detroit +1.5 (-134), and the over/under for total runs is 7.5.

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Pitching Matchup

Guardians' ace Shane Bieber is currently 1-3 with a 3.55 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and has 46 strikeouts in 45.2 innings of work this season. Bieber will take the ball looking for some revenge on Saturday after he took a loss against the Tigers in his last outing despite giving up just two runs over seven innings and striking out 10.

Unlike Bieber, Tigers' righty Alex Faedo will look to repeat the success he had over the Guardians last time out when he went 5.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs in the win. This season, he is 1-1 in four starts with a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and he has 14 strikeouts in 21 innings.

By The Numbers

The Guardians hold the advantage offensively. They rank 11th in scoring averaging 4.49 runs per game. The Tigers rank last, averaging just .277 runs per game, although they average 3.35 at home.

Defensively, the Tigers hold the edge. In terms of scoring defense, the Tigers rank 10th, allowing just 3.84 runs per game to opponents. The Guardians rank 19th, allowing 4.39 runs per game.

Guardians Look To Turn Around Rough Play

At 18-23, the Guardians have slipped to 7.5 games out of first place. Not only have they struggled as of late (lost seven of their last 10), but they have also really struggled on the road this season, going 10-15.

On Saturday, they will try to turn it around at Comerica Park, where they are 14-6 in their last 20 games.

In the last week, Jose Ramirez has been the Guardians' best hitter. In his last 18 at bats, he is hitting .333/.429/.833 with two home runs and six runs batted in. Impressively, in that span, he has three walks and no strikeouts.

Collectively, against the Tiger's Alex Faedo, Guardians' hitters are 6 for 18 with a home run and two runs batted in.

Tigers Trying To Creep Into Contention

Under manager A.J. Hinch, the Tigers were expected to at least be competitive in the AL Central. At 16-28, they have struggled to find consistency but have at least been playing a little better as of late, going .500 in their last ten games.

The biggest problem is consistency in their offense. Other than a 39-year-old Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers have not gotten a ton of consistent production out of their lineup.

In particular, Javier Baez has been disappointing. Signed to a six-year, $140 million contract this offseason, Baez is hitting just .204/.248/.321 with three home runs and 13 runs batted in. Even more concerning, he has walked just six times while striking out 38 times.

Guardians Look For Solid Outing From Bieber

Despite being just 1-3 on the season thus far, anytime that Shane Bieber takes the mound, the Guardians have a good shot of winning.

After losing seven of their last 10, an off day on Friday may serve to benefit the Guardians. It better have helped as they can't afford to fall any further back in the division.

With Bieber on the mound, though, the Guardians should have a good opportunity of evening up this series and forcing a rubber match on Sunday.