Subscribe
Follow Us
The Detroit Tigers head to California to take on the Oakland Athletics on Thursday in the opener of a four-game set. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Tigers-Athletics prediction and pick.
Detroit is coming off of a massive sweep against the Houston Astros and will look to take care of business against another American League West foe. Oakland has turned the corner as they're now seeking their fifth-straight win. Who will stay hot and get the edge in this series opener? And what do the odds say on this one?
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Tigers-Athletics odds.
MLB Odds: Tigers-Athletics Odds
Detroit Tigers +1.5 (-135)
Oakland Athletics -1.5 (+115)
Over 8.5 Runs (-110)
Under 8.5 Runs (-110)
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
The Detroit Tigers are now 6-6 on the young season following their three-game sweep of the Houston Astros. They were dominant in a series that saw the Tigers outscore the Astros by 12 total runs. The Tigers are currently 25th in the majors in runs scored per game despite slugging .421, which is the seventh-best mark in baseball. Catcher Wilson Ramos has been an absolute stud with six home runs on the season. Outfielder Akil Badoo has added four home runs of his own. Detroit is second in the league in home runs with 19 long-balls over 12 games.
Article Continues Below
The Tigers will turn to left-hander Tarik Skubal for the opener. Skubal is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA on the young season. He has allowed nine hits and eight earned runs over 9.1 innings of work this far. Skubal gave up three home runs over four innings in his last start against the Cleveland Indians. He will have to be great in his first career start against Oakland as the Tigers bullpen owns the worst ERA in baseball at 7.07. Detroit has allowed just 13 runs over their last four games coming in, though.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
The Oakland Athletics have turned things around after a horrible start to the 2021 season. They are now seeking their fifth-straight win and have won five of their last six games coming in. The Athletics currently hold the fourth spot in the AL West with a record of 5-7. Oakland averages four runs per game and ranks 27th in batting average at .211. Their lineup ranks toward the bottom of the league in most statistical categories, but has scored six or more runs in four straight games. The Athletics run the bases well, stealing a second-best 10 bases this season.
Oakland will trout out left-hander Sean Manaea for his third start of the season. Manaea is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in his first two starts, both coming against the Houston Astros. He has allowed six earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out eight batters. The southpaw did go six innings and allow just one earned run in his last start against Houston, though. He will now get to see a Tigers lineup that has treated him well in the past. Manaea is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in three career starts against Detroit.
Final Tigers-Athletics Prediction & Pick
Oakland will have the edge on the mound as Manaea looked good in his last start and has seen a lot of success against Detroit over his career. Both teams are riding highs, but Oakland's seems to be a bit more sustainable. The Athletics will be aggressive at the plate and look to get to the league's worst bullpen early on. Oakland knows the importance of series' like these if they want to get back to form and return to the postseason.
FINAL PICK: Oakland Athletics ML (-163)
