Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview
At 1:10 PM ET, the Tigers and Rays face off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Comerica Park in Detroit, and the Tigers are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -181 compared to the Rays at +152. The over/under line is currently 6.5 runs.
Detroit comes into the game with a record of 82-74, while the Rays are 78-78. Tampa Bay will be looking to extend their four-game winning streak, as they are currently 4th in the AL East. Ryan Pepiot is starting for the Rays, and he is facing off against Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. Detroit is 3rd in the AL Central.
Check out BetCoco for Detroit Tigers – Tampa Bay Rays odds
Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays Trends and Key Stats
- The Rays are 2-3 across their last five road games. They have gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
- On the opposing side, the Tigers have a 4-1 (SU) record, along with a 4-1 record in their last five home contests.
- In their last ten games as the favorite, the Tigers have a record of 7-3 straight-up, and have gone 4-6 against the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Rays have won 5-5 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 7-3 against the runline.
Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
The Rays’s offense was carried by Jonathan Aranda in their most recent game vs. the Blue Jays, going 1/4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Rays really needed his big game, as they only scored four runs on seven hits and didnjson’t have another player with more than one hit.
Shane Baz started for the Rays, going six innings and giving up just one run on four hits. He only had six strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
The Rays head into today’s road matchup vs. the Tigers with an even 78-78 record, and they have won four straight games. In the AL East, they are in 4th place, trailing the Yankees by 14 games. So far, they are 24-25 against other teams in the AL East.
Tampa Bay has won two straight series, and they took the series vs. the Blue Jays 3-0. As the road team, the Rays are 36-39 this year compared to 42-39 at home. As the underdog, the Rays are 41-47 this year, and they have won three straight as the underdog overall. Their overall series record is 24-19-7 this year.
Despite being underdogs, the Rays have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 56-32. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 43-32. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.7, while it’s -3.4 in losing games. They have covered the run line in three straight games as underdogs.
The Rays are on the road facing the Tigers today, with an over/under line of 6.5 runs. Their combined run average for the season is 7.9 runs per game, and their over/under record is 66-82. Their average over/under line for the season is 8 runs per game. When the line is set at 6.5 runs, their over/under record is 1-1. The over has hit in 98.7% of their games this season, with 154 games having lines set higher than 6.5 runs. They are currently on a streak of 5 straight games going under the total.
Ryan Pepiot gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Tigers on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 8-6 with a 3.65 ERA. Pepiot’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.13. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going six innings and giving up one earned run on 12 strikeouts. Pepiot has turned in nine quality starts this year and is averaging 9.74 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back, he has finished with a no-decision in three straight outings. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
So far this season, the Rays offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 29th in the MLB. They have also struggled to hit for power, as their 144 home runs are 21st in the league. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 20th in the league.
Yandy Diaz has been one of the few bright spots in the Rays lineup this season, as he is batting .284 and has a team-high 65 RBIs. He also has 14 home runs. Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz are both on four-game hitting streaks coming into the game. Over his last seven games, Aranda is 8/25 with three homers.
Kerry Carpenter had a big game at the plate in the Tigers’ most recent game vs. the Orioles, going 2/3 with two homers and two RBIs. The Tigers really needed his offense, as they only scored four runs on five hits. Detroit’s other two runs came in the 2nd inning.
Tyler Holton got the start for the Tigers, going two innings, and didn’t give up a run. However, he did struggle with his command, giving up three walks. Detroit’s bullpen was able to close things out, and Jason Foley picked up the save.
Detroit is 82-74 overall and are 7.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. The Tigers are 27-22 against other teams in the AL Central. They have won two straight games, and Detroit’s last series came vs. the Orioles, which they won 2-1.
As the home team, the Tigers are 39-36 this season and 43-38 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in 60 games, going 36-24 in those contests. As for their games as the underdog, the Tigers are 46-50.
When the Tigers win, they do so by an average of 3.5 runs, which has led to a run line record of 84-72. They have been a better bet on the run line on the road, going 51-30, compared to 33-42 at home. They have been an underdog in 96 games, going 62-34 on the run line in those contests.
When the Tigers play at home, the over/under line is typically set higher than 6.5 runs. In fact, in 97.4% of their games this season, the over/under line has been set higher than 6.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game, and their over/under record is 77-75 on the season. When the over/under line is set at 6.5 runs, the over has hit in all three games.
Tarik Skubal has been pitching well for the Tigers, coming into the game with a record of 17-4 and an ERA of 2.48. Skubal has made 30 starts this season and has pitched 185 innings. He has turned in 21 quality starts and is averaging 10.75 strikeouts per nine innings. Skubal’s most recent outing came against the Royals, where he picked up the win, going five innings and giving up one earned run. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without taking the loss. Skubal has allowed just one earned run in three of his last four starts.
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. Detroit’s team batting average of .234 is also 18th in the league. As a team, they are 17th in home runs and have a collective on-base percentage of just .299. Detroit’s team slugging percentage of .387 is also below the league average.
Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have been the Tigers’ top power threats this season, with Greene leading the team with 24 homers, and Carpenter is right behind him with 17. Carpenter has gone deep three times over his last eight games while batting .316. Greene has also hit three homers in his last nine games, but he is batting just .222 during that stretch.
Our prediction for this one is that the Tigers will pick up a 5-4 win over the Rays. However, with the Tigers being -181 on the money line, we recommend taking the over at 6.5 runs, where the payout is -121.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Tarik Skubal finishing with six strikeouts compared to Ryan Pepiot with five. Skubal is also projected to go 18th in the league in terms of starting pitcher innings, while Pepiot is down in 18th.
Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Tips
- Take the Tigers on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Rays (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Detroit Tigers Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Javier Báez | Out | Back/Hip |
| Alex Faedo | Out | Shoulder |
| Brendan White | Out | Elbow |
| Sawyer Gipson-Long | Out | Elbow |
Tampa Bay Rays Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Wander Franco | Out | Personal |
| Jeffrey Springs | Out | Elbow |
| Shane McClanahan | Out | Elbow |
| Jacob Waguespack | Out | Shoulder |
| Pete Fairbanks | Out | Lat |
