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The Texas Rangers will take on the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Rangers-Tigers prediction and pick.
The Rangers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the entire MLB. After an incredibly active free agency period, many expected Texas to at least compete in the AL West. Instead, they've earned a 29-33 record and a 9.5-game deficit in the division. Things haven't been much better for the Tigers. Detroit is 24-38, essentially the definition of mediocrity. Despite the records at play in this one, it should be an entertaining matchup. Let's cut to the chase and get into the pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rangers-Tigers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Tigers Odds
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+104)
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-125)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
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Why The Rangers Could Cover the Spread
The Rangers will have their ace on the mound in this game. Martin Perez has easily been the best arm on the Rangers and has an argument for being one of the best pitchers in the entire league. He's put up a 2.18 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP on the season, numbers that should have him in contention for the AL Cy Young Award. Perez has posted those numbers against a number of impressive offenses, including the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago White Sox, so it's fair to expect another good outing from him when he faces this Detroit team.
The Tigers have a legitimate argument for being the worst offense in all of baseball. They currently rank inside the bottom five in almost every single major batting stat, including ranking dead last in OPS and slugging percentage. They haven't scored more than five runs since May 30th and scored less than five in ten of thirteen games since May 30th. This is clearly an awful Detroit offense, and now they'll face one of the better pitchers in the league. It's clear who should win this matchup.
Why The Tigers Could Cover the Spread
Luckily for the Tigers, the Rangers aren't exactly a stellar offensive team either. They rank just above Detroit in most major batting categories, which means they rank in the bottom ten in the MLB in just about everything important. That's great news for Tigers pitcher Beau Brieske. Brieske hasn't been particularly good this season, but he's also faced an incredibly tough slate of teams. He's made nine starts this season, and eight of those came against above-average offenses. The one-time Brieske faced an offense somewhat similar to the Rangers, he pitched six innings of two-run ball. A good outing from Brieske is far from out of the question here.
Home field advantage will give the Tigers a leg up in this matchup. Brieske has been a slightly better pitcher at home, earning a lower ERA, WHIP, and allowed batting average. Detroit has also been significantly better offensively in Comerica Park, putting up higher batting stats across the board when they play on their home turf.
Final Rangers-Tigers Prediction & Pick
This is a fairly easy pick. The Rangers should cover the spread, but the under is by far the best pick on the board. Both teams have been horrendous on offense, and the Tigers have to face one of the best pitchers in the league. Barring a complete meltdown from Brieske, the under should hit easily.
Final Rangers-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Under: 8.5 (-102)
