Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview
Wednesday’s forecast in Detroit calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. The Tigers and Rays are set to face off at 6:40 PM ET at Comerica Park in Detroit, and the Tigers are favored on the money line, with the odds sitting at -117 compared to the Rays at -101.
Overall, the Rays are 78-79, and they are 4th in the AL East, while the Tigers have won three straight and are 3rd in the AL Central with a record of 83-74. Keider Montero is starting for the Tigers, and the Rays are sending Zack Littell to the mound. The over/under line is currently 7.5 runs, and this game can be seen on BSDET.
Check out BetCoco for Detroit Tigers – Tampa Bay Rays odds
Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Rays are 2-3. This includes going 3-2 vs. the runline.
- Conversely, the Tigers have achieved a 4-1 (SU) record and 4-1 record in their last five home games.
- Over the last ten games, Rays has a record of 5-5 when playing as favorites and 5-5 when playing as underdogs.
- The Tigers have a 7-3 record when favored, while their record as the underdog is 7-3.
Detroit picked up a 2-1 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Tigers had just three hits in the game but took advantage of a good outing from Tarik Skubal, who went seven innings and gave up just two hits and no earned runs. As for the Rays, Ryan Pepiot got the start and went five innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits.
Wenceel Perez was the difference for the Tigers, as he homered twice, scored three times, and finished with two RBIs. Brandon Lowe hit a home run for the Rays, going 1/4.
This game featured a starting pitching matchup between Skubal and Pepiot. Skubal got the win for the Tigers, while Beau Brieske got the save. Tampa Bay’s offense only mustered one run in the 9th inning.
Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
The Rays are 78-79 overall, putting them 4th in the AL East, and they trail the Yankees by 14 games in the division. So far, they have gone 24-25 in AL East matchups. The Rays lost the first game of this series vs. the Tigers and are 24-19-7 in series this year.
At home, the Rays are 42-39 this year, and they are just below .500 at 36-40 on the road. As the favorite, the Rays are 37-31 this year and 41-48 as the underdog. Tampa Bay’s two-game winning streak as the favorite was snapped in their last game, and they are 6-4 overall in their last 10 games.
On the road, the Rays have been a solid bet against the run line, going 44-32. They have a run line record of 81-76 overall, with an average run margin of -0.4 runs per game. They have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog, going 57-32.
The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road against the Detroit Tigers today, with the over/under line set at 7.5 runs. The combined run average for Rays games this season is 7.9 runs per game, and their over/under record is 66-83. When the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, their record is 23-31, and 55.4% of their games this season have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs. The under has hit in their last six games.
Zack Littell will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that start vs. the Red Sox, he went seven innings and gave up just one hit. Looking back further, Littell has picked up the win in three straight outings. His record for the season is 8-9, and he has an ERA of 3.56. Littell’s WHIP for the season is 1.24. Opponents have hit .260 off the right-hander this season. Overall, he has made 28 starts, 10 of which were quality starts. Per nine innings, Littell is averaging 7.95 strikeouts and just 1.84 walks.
Heading into today’s game, the Rays are 29th in the league in scoring, averaging just 3.8 runs per game. This is also where they rank in home runs, as they have just 145 homers on the season. As a team, they are batting .231, which is 20th in the league. Tampa Bay’s team on-base percentage is just .303, which is 17th in the league.
Yandy Diaz comes into the game as the Rays’ top hitter, batting .282 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs. He is also 3rd on the team in RBIs. Brandon Lowe and Christopher Morel are tied for the team lead with 21 homers, but Morel is batting just .197 this season. Lowe is hitting .242. Over his last five games, Jonathan Aranda has gone 5/15 with three homers.
Detroit is 83-74 overall and trails the Guardians by 7.5 games in the AL Central. The Tigers are also 7.5 games behind the Royals for the second spot in the division. The Tigers have won three straight games, and they are 8-2 over their last 10, which is the best mark in the AL Central right now.
As the home team, the Tigers are 40-36 this season and 43-38 on the road. Detroit has won two straight games as the underdog, and they are 46-50 as the underdog overall. The Tigers have won five straight series, and their overall series record is 25-20-5 this year.
The Tigers have been a solid run line team this season, going 84-73 overall. They have been especially good on the road, going 51-30 against the run line. They have been a good bet as the underdog, going 62-34 against the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.5, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.4.
When the Tigers play at home, the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game this season. Overall, the over/under record for the Tigers is 77-76. When the line is set at 7.5 runs, the over/under record is 22-18, and 62.4% of their games have had higher over/under lines. The under has hit in the last two games for Detroit.
Keider Montero is looking to bounce back from a rough outing out of the bullpen, as he gets the start for the Tigers today. Against the Orioles on September 20th, he went 4 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, giving up five earned runs, seven hits, and one homer. Montero finished with a no-decision in that outing. Before that, he had picked up the win in two straight starts, going at least five innings and not giving up a run in each of those outings. Montero’s record for the season is 6-6, and his ERA is 4.86. Opponents are batting .254 off the right-hander this season.
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. This is also the 19th ranked scoring offense in terms of home runs, as they have gone deep 159 times. As a team, the Tigers are batting .234, which is 17th in the league.
Riley Greene is the Tigers’ top home run hitter this season, and his 72 RBIs are the best mark on the team. However, he has struggled of late, hitting just .216 over his last nine games. Kerry Carpenter comes into the game with a team-best batting average of .287, and Colt Keith is batting .260 while sitting 2nd on the team with 59 RBIs.
We see the Tigers taking this one at home with a final score of 5-4. With the Tigers being at -117 on the money line, this is the best way to play this one. Their starter, Keider Montero, is projected to have a solid outing, with him finishing with four strikeouts.
As for the Rays starter, Zack Littell, he is projected to finish with just four strikeouts and has one of the worst strikeout projections among starters today. Offensively, the Rays are not looking great, with them ranking near the bottom in terms of projected runs and home runs.
Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Tips
- We like the Tigers on the moneyline (-117)
- The Tigers are also our pick on the run line at +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 |
