The Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers will conclude their three-game series at Chavez Ravine on Sunday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Tigers-Dodgers prediction and pick.
The Tigers defeated the Dodgers 5-1 on Saturday. Los Angeles jumped out early when Mookie Betts slugged a homer to deep center field. It was his third home run in 2022 and gave Los Angeles the lead after one inning. However, the Tigers answered back in the third when Javier Baez clipped an RBI single to left, scoring Robbie Grossman. The RBI tied the game, and there would be no change until the seventh when Baez struck again.
Baez punched an RBI double to right that brought home Jeimer Candelario to give Detroit a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Austin Meadows clobbered an RBI single to left-center that scored Candelario and Harold Castro to put the Tigers up 4-1. Beau Brieske tossed five innings, allowing one run on three hits. Also, the Detroit bullpen shut down Los Angeles, giving up one scattered hit over the final four innings.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Tigers-Dodgers odds.
MLB Odds: Tigers-Dodgers Odds
Tigers: +1.5 (-102)
Dodgers: -1.5 (-118)
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
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Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
Detroit competed with Los Angeles until it finally broke the game open in the seventh inning. The Tigers accomplished this with superior pitching and only gave up four hits. Eduardo Rodriguez will take the hill for the Tigers, still searching for his first win in 2022.
Rodriguez is 0-1 with a 5.03 ERA and has not produced in the way the Tigers envisioned when they signed him. He allowed three earned runs with four hits over six innings in his previous start. Sunday, Rodriguez has the difficult task of containing a Dodgers lineup that puts fear into the hearts of most pitchers. This Tigers pitching staff ranks 13th in team ERA and batting average against. Detroit hopes to keep the solid production going and will need assistance from its bats to cover the spread.
Detroit's offense ranks in the bottom third in home runs, on-base percentage, runs and slugging percentage. Meadows is their best hitter and is batting .328 with an on-base percentage of .434. Additionally, Grossman is hitting .288 with five RBI. Both players contributed to the win on Saturday and will need to spark the Tigers again. Also, Miguel Cabrera is batting .258 but is still searching for his first home run.
The Tigers will cover the spread if Rodriguez can deliver a solid start and put the Tigers in the best chance to win. In addition to that, Detroit needs a spark from its offense to cover.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Los Angeles is one of the best teams in baseball and has achieved that mark with superior fundamental play in nearly every category. The Dodgers are the best team in team ERA, as they have not allowed many teams to score runs on them. Los Angeles will turn to Walker Buehler on Sunday afternoon.
Buehler is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA over four starts in 2022. He is coming off a spectacular performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing three hits while striking out 10 in a complete-game shutout. Now, Buehler will run it back with the goal of shutting down the Tigers at Dodgers Stadium. He has an elite mix of pitches he utilizes to fool hitters and will not hesitate to mix it up.
The Dodgers have an outstanding lineup that features Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Justin Turner, and Cody Bellinger. Betts went 2-for-4 on Saturday with a home run. However, the other four combined to go 0-for-14. Ultimately, the Dodgers need these four to bounce back and contribute productively to give Los Angeles the greatest chance to win. Bellinger leads the Dodgers with four home runs and 7 RBI in 2022.
The Dodgers will cover the spread if Buehler can replicate his masterful performance from his previous start. Additionally, the bats need to wake up and support their best pitcher. The Dodgers can take full control of this game if they rattle Rodriguez early and give Buehler the chance to control the game.
Final Tigers-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers hope to bounce back from Saturday's game. The offense has been inconsistent this week and has managed more than three runs just twice over five games. However, Los Angeles has enough in the tank to pounce on Detroit's pitching and will put the last game behind them. Expect the Dodgers to win the game while covering every aspect of the spread.
Final Tigers-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers: -1.5 (-118)
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