An American League showdown is on tap in this one as the playoff-chasing Tampa Bay Rays travel to the “Motor City” to do battle with the Detroit Tigers. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Rays-Tigers prediction and pick will be made.
At 55-49 and in third place in the ultra-competitive AL East, the Rays have major playoff implications on the line in almost every game they play the rest of the way. Tampa Bay will look to build off their 3-2 victory against the Blue Jays on Wednesday with lefty Jeffrey Springs on the mound. Springs is 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 13 regular season starts.
While the Tigers might be on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to playing meaningful baseball down the stretch, they can still no doubt play spoiler to many teams with postseason aspirations on their schedule. Losers in four of their last five games, Detroit will call upon RHP Drew Hutchison to get them out of their funk. On the season, Hutchison is 1-4 with a 4.53 ERA in only seven starts.
Here are the Rays-Tigers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Tigers Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (-106)
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-113)
Over: 8.5 (-104)
Under: 8.5 (-118)
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Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
As the Rays look ahead to this four-game set in Detroit which is the middle of a six-game road trip before they return home to St. Petersburg, the belief in and around the organization is that they have the pieces to contend for a World Championship in 2022. This was definitely the case during the trade deadline when the team made a move to acquire longtime Diamondback David Peralta, who slapped the go-ahead winning run on a sixth-inning single. The Rays did not falter after that.
Yes, they may not have as dazzling of records as the Yankees or even the Astros for that matter, but Tampa Bay still sits one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for that illustrious final Wild Card slot.
When it comes to covering the spread in tonight's matchup against the Tigers, it is these types of games that the Rays cannot afford to lose. In order to avoid this altogether, Tampa Bay must generate more of an offensive presence on the diamond. Surprisingly, this has been the case for most of the year, as the Rays are only ranked 23rd in runs scored this season. Obviously, getting after Hutchison early and often may be the greatest recipe for success in this one.
Another factor that will help the Rays cover will come in the form of Jeffrey Springs. At first glance, the 3-3 record is nothing to jump up and down about, but he has done a fairly good job in limiting the damage and escaping jams when he needs to. Prior to giving up ten runs on 19 hits in his last five starts, Springs posted a 1.45 ERA in mid-June. If the southpaw can return to his mid-summer form, then the Tigers shouldn't present much of a threat.
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
What do the Tigers, the Lions, the Pistons, and the Red Wings all have in common? All four are slated to miss the postseason during their respective 2022 seasons. While the suffering that Detroit sports fans have undergone has been on full display this year, who says that their home baseball team the Detroit Tigers can't help but win some fans a little money while they're at it?
Obviously, it has been another one of those seasons for the Tigers. With a 42-64 record through their first 106 games, the Tigers' playoff hopes are all but fading unless Detroit can put together a magical and miraculous run over the course of the next couple of months.
During yesterday's defeat to the Twins 4-1, Detroit struck out 14 times and 41 times total in three games against Minnesota. To make matters worse, this club is already the worst-scoring offense in the league, so even simply improving their contact at the dish will go a long way.
Pitching-wise, the Tigers have indeed been a slightly better unit than what the offense has shown. With a collective team ERA of 4.04, Detroit's lone advantage in this one comes from the pitching rubber. Against an underwhelming hitting squad like the Rays, it will be up to Drew Hutchison and the bullpen to take care of business. Hutchison certainly has had experience in squaring off with Tampa Bay, as he is 4-2 with a 5.56 ERA in seven career starts.
Final Rays-Tigers Prediction & Pick
This matchup has the makings of being a total trap game for the Rays. The Tigers haven't been playing their best ball recently, but the game of baseball usually doesn't go as expected. Even so, it is difficult to put your trust on the Tigers in this one when they are outmatched in almost every category on paper. Tampa covers and holds their ground in the AL Wild Card race.
Final Rays-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Rays -1.5 (-106)
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