Tigers vs Guardians Odds, Spread, and Total
After six months of grind and two postseason nail-biters, the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians collide for the last time this season Thursday afternoon in a decisive Game 3 at…
After six months of grind and two postseason nail-biters, the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians collide for the last time this season Thursday afternoon in a decisive Game 3 at Progressive Field. First pitch is set for 3:08 p.m. EST.
Detroit opened the series with a 2-1 win Tuesday, before Cleveland answered with a 6-1 victory 24 hours later. The teams finished one game apart in the AL Central standings after a historic comeback from the Guardians.
Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64 ERA) takes the mound for Detroit, having struck out 188 in 161 innings. He faced the Guardians three times in September, allowing seven runs in 16 innings while recording 18 strikeouts.
The Guardians turn to Slade Cecconi (7-7, 4.30 ERA). The 26-year-old right-hander closed the season strong and has held Detroit to three runs in 12 innings this year.
At the plate, Gleyber Torres enters with 11 hits in his last 10 games for the Tigers, while the Guardians' Steven Kwan's eight hits and 6 RBIs in his last 10 games.
Spread
- Tigers +1.5 (-198)
- Guardians -1.5 (+178)
Moneyline
- Tigers +113
- Guardians -117
Total
- Over 7 (-115)
- Under 7 (+103)
Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 2, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Tigers vs Guardians Betting Trends
- The Tigers have lost seven of their past 10 games and are 2-8 against the spread.
- The Guardians are 6-4 in their last 10 and 5-5 against the spread.
- The Tigers have lost three of the last four times they've played as favorites.
- Guardians have won 15 of their last 20 games at home.
- The total has gone under in six of the Tigers' last seven games and four of five on the road.
- The under has hit in five of the last seven meetings between these two teams.
Tigers vs Guardians Injury Reports
Tigers
- Reese Olson, SP — 60-day IL (shoulder).
- Sawyer Gipson-Long, RP — 15-day IL (neck).
- Colt Keith, 2B — 10-day IL (back).
- Matt Vierling, CF — 10-day IL (oblique).
Guardians
- Nolan Jones, RF — 10-day IL (oblique).
- David Fry, 1B — 10-day IL (head).
- John Means, SP — 60-day IL (elbow).
- Nic Enright, RP — 15-day IL (elbow/forearm).
Tigers vs Guardians Predictions and Picks
"I know the Guardians won the season series against the Tigers, and there's no denying how impressive their comeback was to win the Central. Still, I can't talk myself into picking a team with a lineup this bad. Cleveland's staff has to work with just the thinnest margin of error every night. Don't get it twisted: the Guardians can really pitch, but they're playing on too high of a difficulty setting for me to feel confident in them lasting deep into the tournament. Pick: Tigers." — R.J. Anderson, CBS Sports
"The Tigers have plenty of big bats ... but the team has been lacking severely in the power department through the first two games of the series. They're just one of three postseason teams yet to hit a home run, and their .215 slugging percentage ranks at the bottom. The Guardians also have one of the weaker offenses in the postseason, but they stack up much better against right-handed pitching .... Having not gotten many pitches in the strike zone, [Jose Ramirez] could pounce on the next one he sees — propelling his club back to the ALDS in the process. Best Bet: Cleveland." — Cooper Albers, DraftKings Network
"Perhaps it's a wide brush, but Detroit's ability to get the ball in play and convert scoring opportunities into actual runs — or not — is likely to decide Thursday's game. The Tigers have managed to get quality at-bats early in innings and generate plenty of traffic on the bags, but they've been completely unable to turn those scoring chances into runs. Their 15 runners left on base in Game 2 was a record for a franchise whose postseason history dates back to 1907. Over three potential elimination games going back to last year's ALDS matchup, the Tigers are a combined 3-for-38 (.079) with runners in scoring position. That must change or Detroit will be done." — Bradford Doolittle, ESPN
