Astros vs. Tigers Pick
Can the Houston Astros take the rubber match with the Detroit Tigers when the two conclude their series at 1:10PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Astros are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -130 to win, while the Tigers are listed at +110 to prevail. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 9.5 runs.
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The pitching matchup in this game has Justin Verlander (5-7, 4.50 ERA) on the mound for the Tigers to face Lance McCullers Jr. (7-2, 3.67) of the Astros. McCullers has actually been struggling lately, allowing at least five runs in his last three starts while failing to get out of the fifth. On the season he has 114 strikeouts with 32 walks and a 1.23 WHIP. Verlander has went seven innings in his last two starts, allowing a combined five runs. On the year, JV has 120 strikeouts with 57 walks and a 1.44 WHIP.
These two opened the series on Friday night with the Astros rallying for a 6-5 win. Detroit answered with a 5-3 win on Saturday. Detroit is now 46-56 overall and 26-25 at home while the Astros are 68-35 overall and 38-14 on the road.
The Tigers were down 3-0 on Saturday, but rallied for the win. Detroit posted three runs in the seventh and got the eventual game-winning run on an Ian Kinsler RBI single. Matt Boyd gave up his usual three runs, but got through 7.1 innings this time to get his fifth win of the season. Collin McHugh lasted six innings and gave up one run for Houston, but Francis Martes allowed three runs in 0.2 innings to blow the lead. Victor Martinez had three hits to lead the Tigers in the win while Evan Gattis had three hits and drove in two.
Detroit has been competitive this weekend. The Tigers blew a game on Friday and then rallied for a win on Saturday. Verlander could be making his last start for the team, so he will be dialed in to make it a memorable one. McCullers is in a funk right now and I think that will make it tough for him to match what Verlander does on the mound. As long as Detroit’s bullpen can hold up, I see the Tigers winning.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: DETROIT TIGERS +110