Indians at Tigers Saturday Betting Preview

AL Central rivals will meet up against on Saturday as the Cleveland Indians are in Detroit to take on the Tigers. This series is a matchup between the second and third-place teams in the division, and it should be a competitive game.

Cleveland won the series opener on Friday night to improve its record to 56-58 on the season. The Indians looked as if they were going to challenge for the AL Central crown through June, but things fell apart in a hurry.

Detroit got off to a miserable start to the season, but the Tigers have been coming on strong over the last few months. The Tigers come into this game with a record of 57-61, and they are looking to build some momentum up for the coming years. 

As of Saturday morning, the betting lines have not been set for this matchup, but don’t expect Cleveland to be favored.

Tribe Needing Some Pitching

Cleveland has been hit hard by the injury bug in 2021, especially when it comes to starting pitching. The Indians don’t have a starting pitcher lined up to make this start on Saturday, and that could lead to a long night for the team.

The Indians allowed 27 total runs in suffering through a three-game sweep against the Oakland Athletics, and this staff needs someone to step up and get some ous. Cleveland now has a team ERA of 4.55, and that was supposed to be one of the strengths of this team.

Jose Ramirez leads the team with 25 home runs and 68 RBIs, but he hasn’t gotten a ton of help in the power department. Cleveland has not been a great offensive team throughout the season, and it will take runs to beat Detroit again. 

Detroit Doing Damage at Home

Detroit has gone 32-26 at home so far this season, and they have given some teams trouble while playing at home. The Tigers still have some serious flaws, but they have an offense that can score runs in a hurry.

Detroit has a team batting average of .242, and they have done a nice job of getting on base. Miguel Cabrera is still the biggest name in this lineup, but other players have been more productive.

Wily Peralta is on the mound for Detroit on Saturday, and he has gone 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA so far this season. 

Cleveland Can’t Outscore Detroit

Even though the Indians put up seven runs in the first game of this series, Cleveland is not a better offensive team than Detroit. The Tigers have the potential to put up a ton of runs at home, and the Indians pitching staff must keep this to a low-scoring game.

The Indians have a real problem with their starting rotation at the moment, as injuries have really taken its toll. Cleveland will be able to find someone to make this start, but getting five innings out of that pitcher might be a victory.

The Indians do have some momentum after picking up a win in the series opener, but they will be the underdogs in the matchup on Saturday.