Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians July 14 Betting Preview

After being swept in a four-game series by the Detroit Tigers (37-52) last week, the Cleveland Guardians (43-44) will have an opportunity to repay the favor as they host Detroit starting Thursday for four games. This game will be played at Progressive Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 pm ET.

To start the week, the Tigers dropped three of four to the Kansas City Royals, including a 5-2 loss on Wednesday. In the loss, Tarik Skubal gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits over six innings.

Offensively, Javier Baez went two for four, but the Tigers left 28 stranded on base while striking out ten times.

The Guardians had a little more success, splitting a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, after winning two of the first three, Cleveland dropped Wednesday’s finale 2-1.

Cleveland’s offense mustered only five hits in the contest, with two of them by shortstop Amed Rosario. Franmil Reyes scored the lone run for the Guardians.

Tigers vs. Guardians July 14 Betting Odds

The Guardians are the favorite playing at home Thursday. They are -250 to win while the Tigers’ moneyline sits at +205. The runline features Detroit +1.5 (+106), and the over/under for total runs is eight.

Ready to bet on the Tigers vs. Guardians July 15 matchup? Sign up for betJACK Training Camp to bet in Ohio for free. ⚾

Pitching Matchup

Detroit will send 24-year-old righty Elvin Rodriguez to the mound for the opener. In five games, he is 0-2 with a 11.51 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, and has 16 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. In his last two starts, Rodriguez has given up a combined 18 runs on 19 hits in 8.2 innings.

The Guardians will counter with righty Triston McKenzie. In 16 games, he is 6-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, and he has 84 strikeouts in 93.1 innings. McKenzie comes in having won back-to-back games, throwing a combined 13 scoreless innings.

Tigers Look To Replicate Last Week’s Success

At 37-52, the Detroit Tigers might be one of the league’s most disappointing teams as they have taken a big step back from last year. Still, the Tigers were able to shock the Guardians by sweeping them last week, and they will look to do the same this week on the road.

Away from Comerica Park, the Tigers have struggled. While they are 23-24 at home, they are just 14-28 on the road this season.

Leading the Tigers’ offense is shortstop Javier Baez. In 294 at bats, he is hitting .218/.256/.384 with a team-leading nine home runs and 35 runs batted in.

Overall, the Tigers’ offense has struggled. They rank dead last in the majors in scoring, averaging just 3.19 runs per game (2.71 on the road).

Cleveland Trying To Pick Up Ground

At 43-44, the Guardians are hoping to move back to .500 overall and cut into their 4.5 game deficit to the Twins in the AL Central. They are also trying to fend off the White Sox, who sit just a half-game back in the standings entering Thursday.

After getting off to a blistering start this year, the Guardians’ offense has cooled down. They currently rank 17th in scoring averaging 4.30 runs per game.

The team is led by third baseman Jose Ramirez. In 319 at bats, he is hitting .285/.366/.564 with a team-leading 17 home runs, 68 runs batted in, 50 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.

On the mound, the Guardians’ pitching staff ranks 18th in earned run average. On the year, they have a 4.01 ERA, and they are slightly better at home at 3.84.

Guardians Need To Take Advantage Of Home Field

While we haven’t even hit the All-Star game yet, this is a crucial series for the Guardians. The old adage is that you need to beat up on the weaker teams, and the Guardians failed to do so against the Tigers last week. They have another opportunity to do so starting Thursday.

Luckily for the Guardians, Detroit has struggled at Progressive Field recently. In fact, they are just 6-14 in their last 20 games there.

Between the Tigers’ road struggles and the Guardians having the advantage with Triston McKenzie on the mound, this is a game Cleveland needs to take.