MLB Betting Preview :The Cleveland Indians hope to get a series split at Detroit with a win Monday while the Tigers look to hold of the Indians and win a three of the four games series at Comerica Park. A pair of lefthanders will go at it from the mound as Cleveland sends out their best pitcher, Cliff Lee (9-1 2.45) while the Tigers go to veteran Dontrelle Willis (0-0, 4.50 ERA) with hopes he can return to old form. MLB Betting oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com see Cleveland as a slight money line favorite -106 as compared to Detroit at -104 with a 10 run total.
Dontrelle Willis makes his first full start since coming off the disabled list with a hyperextended right knee. He started a game in Oakland last Tuesday, but piggybacked the start with Armando Galarraga. Willis threw four innings, giving up no runs, two hits and five walks, and Galarraga relieved him. Willis is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against Cleveland. Willis is 0-1 when starting against Cleveland with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.417.His team's record is 1-1 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1 (-0.1 units).
The hitting-friendly conditions at Rangers Ballpark did not work in Lee's favor in his last start Wednesday in Texas, when he gave up six runs on nine hits in five innings but won thanks to an outpouring of offensive support. In general, though, Lee hasn't been nearly as dominant of late as he was in the first six weeks of the season, when he was putting up downright historic numbers. He's allowed 16 earned runs over his last four starts, yet he's won his last three in a row. He'll be in more pitching-friendly conditions Monday, when he faces the Tigers for the first time this season. Lee is 3-6 with a 5.23 ERA in 14 career starts against the Tigers and 1-1 with a 3.53 ERA in six starts at Comerica Park. Lee is 3-6 when starting against Detroit with an ERA of 5.23 and a WHIP of 1.520.His team's record is 4-10 (-8.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8 (-3.9 units).
The Tigers defeated Cleveland 5-2 as a -145 favorite on Sunday. The seven runs scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (10.5).
Placido Polanco was 2-4 with two RBI for Detroit, while Armando Galarraga allowed to runs on four hits in five 2-3 innings to pick up the win.
Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko each had an RBI for Cleveland, while Jeremy Sowers took the loss after giving up five runs in four innings.
Point-Spreads.com MLB Betting Pick: Indians ML -106
