With Jack Leiter set to make his big league debut versus Kenta Maeda in Detroit, what’s the smart bet in Thursday’s Rangers vs. Tigers matinee matchup at 1:10 p.m. ET?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
957 Texas Rangers (-102) at 958 Detroit Tigers (-116); o/u 8.5
1:10 p.m. ET, Thursday, April 18, 2024
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Rangers vs. Tigers: Public Bettors Siding with Texas
As of this writing, our MLB Public Betting Page shows that 60% of bets are on the Rangers’ moneyline. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Smith provides key double in win vs. DET
Pinch-hitter Josh Smith doubled in Ezequiel Duran in the top of the ninth as the Rangers edged the Tigers 5-4 on Wednesday. Davis Wendzel got the nod over Smith at third base against a lefty today, but after going 0-for-3 — leaving him 0-for-8 to start his big-league career — the Rangers turned to Smith a chance in the ninth and he took advantage of it with a double to the gap off Shelby Miller. Smith is batting .319/.418/.404 in 55 at-bats (raising his career average from .191 to .204), and he’ll continue to get plenty of time at third while Josh Jung is out.
Meadows hits first home run
Parker Meadows hit his first homer and walked Wednesday against the Rangers. Meadows badly needed this performance. The homer was a 399-foot shot off Austin Pruitt. The 108.7 mph exit velocity on it beat his previous season high by a whopping eight mph. He also barely eclipsed his major league high of 108.5 mph from last year. It was just his second extra-base hit and his first RBI in 17 games this year.
Rangers vs. Tigers MLB Betting Trends
Rangers are 16-4 SU in their last 20 games on the road
Tigers are 12-3 SU in their last 15 games played on a Thursday
Rangers are 14-3 SU in their last 17 games when playing as the underdog
Rangers vs. Tigers MLB BETTING PREDICTION
The 23-year-old Leiter will make his Major League debut today for the Rangers. The team’s No. 8 ranked prospect is coming off an impressive 10-strikeout performance for Triple-A Round Rock this past weekend. He has an insane 25:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 3.77 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this season in the minors. Leiter will also benefit from facing a Tigers offense that owns a 79 wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season. Only the Twins, White Sox and Phillies have been worse against righties.
On the other side is Maeda, who was charged with two runs – one earned – over six innings in a no-decision last Saturday versus the Twins. He’ll bring a 6.00 ERA and 1.27 WHIP into today’s contest versus the Rangers, who own a 117 wRC+ against right-haned pitching this season. That’s seventh best in baseball.
Rangers vs. Tigers MLB Playoffs Prediction: TEXAS RANGERS -102
