The Detroit Tigers will face the Houston Astros in the third of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park on Saturday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Tigers-Astros prediction and pick.
The Astros defeated the Tigers 3-2 on Friday. Houston entered the bottom of the second down 1-0 when Chas McCormick came to the plate with a runner on base. Then, he blasted a two-run shot to deep left for a home run to give the Astros a 2-1 lead. It was his second home run of the season. Next, Martin Maldonado smashed a 1-1 pitch the opposite way for a solo home run. It was back-to-back home runs, and it gave the Astros a 3-1 lead. The Tigers mustered one more run but could not do much else, as they had two hits the entire game.
Luis Garcia was sharp as he tossed seven innings while allowing one earned run on two hits. Rafael Montero closed things out with a one-two-three ninth inning. Conversely, Beau Brieske threw five innings, allowing three earned runs and five hits. The Tigers are 8-17 and last in the AL Central, while the Astros are 16-11 and first in the AL West.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Tigers-Astros MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Tigers-Astros Odds
Tigers:+1.5 (-137)
Astros: -1.5 (+114)
Over: 8 (-114)
Under: 8 (-106)
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Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
Detroit will turn to Eduardo Rodriguez, who has not lived up to the hype. He is 0-2 with a 5.33 ERA. Rodriguez allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last weekend. He has not been the answer as he has allowed three home runs and walked eight over five starts. However, Rodriguez can still turn it around and has proven how effective he could be in the past. He will attempt to pick up a Tigers team that has gone 2-10 over 12 games.
The offense has not performed adequately at all in 2022. The Tigers rank 26th in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, and 30th in home runs. Consequently, their best offensive weapons are an aging all-star and an inconsistent producer. Miguel Cabrera is hitting .269 with only one home run and seven RBIs. Meanwhile, Robbie Grossman is hitting .270 with seven RBIs. Cabrera went 0 for 4 last night while Grossman went 1 for 3. Detroit needs both to produce to have a shot.
The Tigers will cover the spread if Rodriguez can deliver his best start in 2022. He has yet to deliver on the deal he signed with the Tigers and is still searching for his first win. Also, the offense needs to step up as they have scored 12 runs combined over the previous five games.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Houston turns to Framber Valdez to start. He is 1-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 2022. Valdez pitched well against the Toronto Blue Jays last week, as he allowed three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. However, he took the loss because his offense could not provide him with offensive support. Valdez looks to get the win today as his Astros search for their sixth win in a row. Now, this is where the offense needs to step to the plate and support him.
The Astros are 25th in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, and 18th in runs. However, they are also fifth in home runs which showcases how well they have clobbered the ball. Jose Altuve returned to the lineup this week after sitting out a few weeks with an injury. He went 2 for 3 in last night's contest and is on the fast track to regaining his superstar status. Meanwhile, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Yuli Guriel combined to go 0 for 9 last night. Bregman is hitting .242 with four home runs and 16 RBIs this season. Also, Alvarez has clobbered eight home runs with 15 RBIs. Guriel has struggled the most, batting .202 with no home runs and five RBIs. The Astros need all three to excel.
The Astros will cover the spread if Valdez can give them another quality start that goes the distance. In addition to that, Houston needs Bredman, Alverez, and Guriel to perform better than they did in the opener. The Astros will have little issue winning this game if the offense can score at least five runs.
Final Tigers-Astros Prediction & Pick
Both games have had identical scores of 3-2. What are the odds of that happening? Often, the odds are slim. It is unlikely to happen again, and even less likely to see another low-scoring game. However, the better pick here is an Astros win. Expect Houston to tee off on Rodriguez and cover the spread.
Final Tigers-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros: -1.5 (+114)
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