Here is the Pickwatch BetSmart Preview for the Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Round in the 2025 MLB Playoffs.

Tigers vs. Guardians Game Info

Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Time: 1:08 p.m. ET
Location: Progressive Field — Cleveland, Ohio
TV: ESPN

Tigers vs. Guardians Betting Info

Spread / Run Line
- Tigers −1.5 (+116)
- Guardians +1.5 (-140)
Moneyline
- Tigers -166
- Guardians +140
Total (Over/Under)
- Over 6 (-108)
- Under 6 (-112)

*Odds via FanDuel

Detroit Tigers (87–75) @ Cleveland Guardians (88–74) Preview

The Tigers squeaked into the postseason after a harsh collapse in September, giving away a 15.5-game lead in the AL Central to Cleveland. Cleveland, meanwhile, surged late and clinched the division, riding momentum into this Wild Card matchup.

Detroit will turn to ace Tarik Skubal, whose season ERA sits at 2.21 as he aims to deliver a Game 1 edge. The Guardians counter with Gavin Williams (12–5, ~3.06 ERA), who’s been solid down the stretch.

Detroit’s bullpen has been erratic this season, which could be a liability if Skubal can’t go deep into the game. Cleveland’s offense’s consistency is lower than ideal, but their late season run suggests resilience, especially at home.

In betting markets, Detroit is favored by −1.5 run line and −165 moneyline, with the total at 6.5. Many models see this as a tight game, with slight lean toward Detroit thanks to Skubal’s edge

Head-to-Head Stats and Analysis

The Detroit Tigers lead the all-time series vs. the Cleveland Guardians 1164-1163. Here are the last 5 matchups:

Guardians 5, Tigers 1 (September 25, 2025)
Guardians 5, Tigers 2 (September 24, 2025)
Guardians 3, Tigers 1 (September 18, 2025)
Tigers 7, Guardians 2 (July 6, 2025)
Tigers 1, Guardians 0 (July 5, 2025)

BetSmart Betting Rundown

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Arbitrage

Our Arbitrage Betting Tool is currently not identifying any arbitrage betting opportunities for guaranteed profit. The tool scans all major sportsbooks in real-time, though, so be sure to check back often as odds and lines change often, and an arbitrage opportunity could still become available before the first pitch.

Middles

Our Middle Betting Tool has identified 2 different middle betting opportunities, some of which are among the Most Profitable Markets so far this season.

Positive EV

Our Positive EV Betting Tool has identified 2 different positive expected value wagers, and provided data on the expected value percentrage, suggested Kelly Stake, and how often the bet has hit in the last 5, 10 and 15 games.

Player Props

Our Prop Finder Tool has identified 252 different player prop bets, and provided data on how often each player has hit the specific prop in the last 5, 10 and 15 games.

Season Betting Records

Moneyline
- Tigers: 87-75
- Guardians: 88-74
Run Line
- Tigers: 74-88
- Guardians: 87-75
Totals (Over-Under)
- Tigers: 84-72-6
- Guardians: 69-84-9

Tigers vs. Guardians: Expert Picks

Visit our Expert Picks page to view picks and data from experts to see where the consensus is on the Tigers vs. Guardians moneyline, run line and total.