Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians Picks and Prediction, Game 2, Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Use Code WWWC On Wednesday, the Detroit Tigers will play the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Round at Progressive Field, and we have you ready to go with our Tigers vs. Guardians prediction. Detroit won Tuesday's series opener 2-1, as Tigers starter Tarik Skubal fanned 14 batters in 7.2 innings. First pitch from Cleveland, OH, is at 1:08 p.m. ET.
The Guardians are -120 moneyline favorites, and the game total is 6.5 runs scored.
Cleveland won the regular season series 8-5, winning five of the last six matchups between these AL Central rivals. The under was 7-3 in the last ten games. If you want the Tigers vs. Guardians prediction, read on and check out our MLB Predictions to beat the sportsbooks!
Do the Tigers have their claws back?
Detroit (87-75 SU, 74-88 RL, and 83-71-8 O/U in the regular season) finished second in the AL Central after fading down the stretch. The Tigers were 7-17 in September and 28-37 in the second half of the season, allowing Cleveland to overtake them in the division title race.
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The Tigers will start right-hander Casey Mize in Game 2 against Cleveland. The 28-year-old was 14-6 with a 3.87 ERA and 1.27 WHIP this year (149.0 IP), including 6-4 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.32 WHIP on the road (14 starts). He is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four career appearances against the Guardians, including 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 18 strikeouts this season (17.1 IP).
Detroit broke out in 2024, winning 86 games in the regular season and riding a 31-11 surge into the Division Series. For a proud franchise and city, it was the type of season the fans deserved. Now, it's about building off that success by becoming a legitimate World Series favorite. The Tigers dominated the first half of the season (59-38), but barely made the postseason. Can they get back to their winning ways with a fresh slate?
Detroit Tigers Baseball Injury Report: No new injuries to report for Wednesday's Game 2 AL Wild Card game against the Guardians.
Cleveland has its back against the wall
Cleveland (88-74 SU, 86-76 RL, and 71-85-6 O/U in the regular season) trailed Detroit by 15.5 games on July 6 and was still down ten games as recently as September 3, but completed its incredible comeback to win the AL Central on the last day of the regular season.
Cleveland will turn to right Tanner Bibee on Wednesday against Detroit. He was 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA and 1.23 WHIP during the regular season (31 starts), including 5-5 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.11 WHIP at home (86.2 IP). Bibee is 4-3 with a 3.62 ERA in nine career appearances against the Tigers, including 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 21 strikeouts this year (19.0 IP).
The Guardians had the second-best record in the American League last season but fell short in the postseason, as New York bounced them 4-1 in the ALCS. They were three games under .500 in the first half, but turned it on after the All-Star break (42-25 record), especially this month (20-7). Cleveland is light on offense, but keeps games close on the mound. They lowered their team ERA by over a half run in the second half and pitched to a 2.61 ERA in September.
Cleveland Guardians Baseball Injury Report: No new injuries to report for Wednesday's Game 2 AL Wild Card game against the Tigers.
Tigers vs. Guardians Pick
Moneyline Line Pick for Tigers vs. Guardians
- Cleveland ML (5 Units)
Detroit eked out a win in Game 1, but even with Skubal dominating, it didn't come easily. Cleveland booted a ball in the first inning that put a Tigers runner in scoring position (who scored) and stranded a runner at third who would have tied the game with no outs in the ninth.
That said, I believe Cleveland will take the early lead in Game 2. Bibee dominated Detroit this season, holding them to two total runs in three starts with two crucial wins down the stretch. Mize hasn't performed poorly against Cleveland, but current Guardians hitters have a .281 BA, .544 SLG, and .358 wOBA in 59 plate appearances against him.
The Tigers' bullpen struggled over the last two weeks of the season (4.14 ERA), and I'm not confident they can close the door on the Guardians on the road on Wednesday. With a top-five bullpen backing up Bibee, Cleveland has enough of a pitching advantage to keep its season alive.
Over/Under Pick for Tigers vs. Guardians
- Under 6.5 (4 Units)
Betting Trend: The under was 33-18-2 (64.7%) in Cleveland's division games this season, the highest percentage in MLB.
Detroit and Cleveland have played seven times since September 16th, and the under cashed in five of those meetings. These rivals combined for six or fewer runs in 8 of their last 11 matchups, as well. Game 2's starters will treat fans to another pitcher's duel, keeping the total under seven runs. They have allowed a combined six runs and fanned 39 batters in their six outings against tomorrow's opponent, making these lineups work hard for every single run. The Guardians aren't likely to go down without a fight after battling so hard to make the playoffs. To stay alive, their main priority will be limiting the Tigers' bats, as their lineup (28th in scoring) can't go run-for-run with the visitors (11th in scoring).
Bet on another low-scoring game on Wednesday!
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