Tigers vs. Pirates Prediction
Following a split of a doubleheader on Wednesday, which team will pick up the win in the rubber match when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Detroit Tigers at 12:35PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
919 Detroit Tigers at 920 Pittsburgh Pirates
Thursday, April 26, 2018
12:35PM ET, PNC Park
TV: FSDT (Det); ATPT (Pit)
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Pirates are favored at home today, as they are getting odds of -140 to win, while the Tigers are getting a money line of +130 to win. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 8 runs. The public betting currently has Pittsburgh getting 78% of the wagers as a home favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Tigers can’t get to .500
The Tigers once again failed to get to the .500 mark on Wednesday. After winning the opener in the doubleheader with Pittsburgh, it lost again in the nightcap to move to 10-12 on the season and 4-5 on the road. The Tigers are averaging 4.70 runs per game at the plate while allowing 4.50 per contest.
Michael Fulmer gets the start for the Tigers this afternoon. He is 1-2 through four starts, mostly due to a lack of run support. Fulmer has a 3.47 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP this season. Over 23.1 innings of work, Fulmer has 13 strikeouts with six walks.
Pirates snap losing streak
Pittsburgh ended a five-game losing streak with Wednesday night’s win in the nightcap of the doubleheader. They still are just 2-6 in their last eight. Their overall record is now 13-11, while their record at home is 6-5. The Pirates are averaging 4.73 runs per game while allowing 4.36 per contest.
The Pirates send Ivan Nova to the mound today. He has started five games this season and has a 2-1 record with a 4.20 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Nova has pitched 30 innings and has 25 strikeouts with four walks.
MLB Betting Trends
Detroit
The Tigers are 2-5 in their last seven interleague games and 1-5 in their last six against the NL Central. However, they have won 12 of Fulmer’s last 17 starts when on five days of rest.
Pittsburgh
The Pirates have won eight of their last 10 interleague home games and 10 of their last 13 against a team with a losing record. They are also 6-2 in Nova’s last eight starts at home.
Prediction:
The pitching in the two games of the doubleheader weren’t very impressive, but things look like they could pick up today. Fulmer is Detroit’s ace while Nova has been able to limit baserunners. The Tigers are doing enough to remain competitive without getting to .500. I think they bounce back behind Fulmer today and inch closer to getting even once again.
The Pick: Detroit Tigers +130