We have the best odds, picks, and predictions for Friday evening’s AL matchup between the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros.
It’s good news, bad news for Detroit today. The good news is the Tigers have been putting up runs of late, fueled by a boost in home run power. In its last eight games, Detroit’s lineup has scored 4.8 runs per game, compared to 4.0 RPG for the season.
The bad news? Detroit hosts one of the best teams in baseball this weekend, the defending World Champion Houston Astros. If you’re interested in putting down your World Series futures bet, we have the odds for that, and we can also help you find the Top Best MLB Betting Site in Michigan for placing that wager, whether it be on Houston or another team.
Game Details:
- Who: Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros
- When: Friday, August 25
- Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- Where: Comerica Park (Detroit, MI)
MLB Odds:
- Moneyline: Tigers +144, Astros -172
- Runline: Tigers +1.5 (-115), Astros -1.5 (-104)
- Total: Over/Under 8.5 Runs (-115, -105)
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Starting Pitchers
Matt Manning (5-4, 4.31 ERA, 42 K in 64.2 IP) vs. Framber Valdez (9-9, 3.55 ERA, 153 K in 154.2 IP)
In MLB today, you must limit contact, and if you allow contact it cannot be hard-hit contact. That’s been the struggle for Manning, who does not miss many bats. The Tiger righthander has a 3-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last two starts. That means he’s walked more than he’s fanned. The Tigers have won both of those games, but it’s mostly been luck, as opposing batters are hitting the ball right at defenders against Manning. That type of luck usually doesn’t last, and hard hits even out.
That’s why we are worried about Manning in this start against a Houston lineup that can rake. We suggest the UNDER on Manning for K’s, and stay away from the moneyline on Detroit. Instead, consider the run line, picking up 1.5 runs against the visiting Stros.
Valdez is one of baseball’s steadiest performers on the hill, but he may be tiring: in his last three starts his ERA is a worrisome 6.89 in 19 ⅔ innings. He has a 3.15 ERA in four career games at Comerica, but that small sample size doesn’t mean much historically. Instead, we think the spacious outfield in Detroit plays well for Valdez. He’s also capable of ringing up a lot of K’s against Detroit’s fastball-sitting, home run-swinging lineup.
Hot Hitters
Houston’s Yainer Diaz is batting .339 with a blistering 974 OPS in August. That even makes Kyle Tucker look tame, though the Astros outfielder is mashing a .583 SLG and 913 OPS this month… Then there’s Jose Altuve, that little pest, who’s hitting .378 with a .457 OBP this month, with a team-leading 982 OPS… Lost a bit in the recent power explosion by Spencer Torkelson is the month that Kerry Carpenter is enjoying: 9 HR & 19 RBI with a .368 BA, .435 OBP, and .776(!) SLG for 1212 OPS in August… Speaking of Tork, he’s slugging .653 this month, and has 13 extra-base hits, which ties Carpenter… Want someone to stay away from in Tigers player props? Javier Baez, who has fewer extra-base hits this month than Miguel Cabrera, who is a part-time DH. Ouch.
Tigers Bet of the Day
Detroit +1.5 AND Over 8.5 Runs (+260)
When a big favorite plays a home dog, you need to find creative ways to allocate your baseball betting dollars. Today, we are not confident in starter Matt Manning, but we don’t mind grabbing 1.5 runs and wagering on the total to be 9 runs or more. A $100 bet would win you a cool $260, which would make for some nice spending money for next Labor Day weekend, wouldn’t it?
Same-Game Parlay
Our parlay is a longer shot, and it’s for those who aren’t worried as much about the straight-up outcome and feel Detroit could snatch a win against Houston and Valdez. Odds (+400) are from FanDuel, and available under its Sam -Game Parlay section.
- Detroit Tigers to win Moneyline (win game outright)
- Total To Go OVER 8.5 Runs
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