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Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 1, series predictions

CLEVELAND — The Guardians are back in the postseason, and playoff baseball will return to Cleveland on Saturday afternoon.

The No. 2 Guardians begin their best-of-five series against the No. 6 Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field with Game 1 at 1:08 p.m. Saturday.

The Guardians won the American League Central with 92 victories. The Tigers, the third AL Central team to secure a playoff spot, won 15 of their last 20 games in the regular season before sweeping the No. 3 Houston Astros in the wild card series.

Guardians vs. Tigers prediction: Who wins Game 1 Saturday?

Lewis: I'll take the Guardians to open the AL Division Series with a win. Tanner Bibee is expected to take the mound for Game 1, and the league's best bullpen is well rested. The Tigers have had a wave of momentum over the last few weeks, but now have had a few days off to cool down.

Ulrich: Guardians 4-2 in Game 1. The Guardians must have a sense urgency out of the gate, so count this as a vote of confidence in manager Stephen Vogt's men operating as such. With Tigers ace Tarik Skubal considered a better bet to start Game 2 than Game 1, the Guardians need to come out swinging.

Guardians vs. Tigers prediction: Who wins the American League Division Series?

Lewis: I like the Guardians to advance to the ALCS in four games. Skubal is a serious problem, but unless the Tigers turn the clock back to 1904 he won't be pitching every game. Cleveland's dominant bullpen can shine even more in the postseason. The Guardians earning a bye through the wild card series and being able to save those innings was a big boost.

Ulrich: Guardians over the Tigers in five games. The impending battle between AL Cy Young Award favorite Skubal and Cleveland's MLB-best bullpen should be a good one. Give the edge to the team coming off more rest.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 1, series predictions