The Detroit Tigers took care of the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of the series, dominating from start to finish for a 7-1 victory. It was Tampa Bay's third loss in the last four games, which had put them in last place in the American League East. The division looks to be the best in baseball again this season, as every team is at least .500 and within four games of first place. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Tigers-Rays prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Despite some solid outings, Jack Flaherty hasn't managed to record a win yet. He has pitched at least six innings in each game and allowed three or fewer earned runs in three. Flaherty's lone blowup was against the Oakland Athletics when he took the loss by allowing nine hits and six earned runs. Flaherty has been a strikeout machine, averaging 7.5 per game. His last start was his best, striking out ten Twins hitters over six innings.

Tyler Alexander has been improving in each of his four starts. His first two starts didn't go well, allowing four or more earned runs and two home runs in both games. He got his first win in a home game against the Giants, going six innings and allowing just two earned runs. Alexander was in fine form last start, allowing two hits and zero earned runs against the Yankees. The Rays couldn't hold on to the lead Alexander gave them, as their bullpen continued struggling with their 5.03 ERA.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Tigers-Rays Odds

Detroit Tigers: -1.5 (+155)

Moneyline: -104

Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-188)

Moneyline: -112

Over: 8 (-120)

Under: 8 (-102)

How to Watch Tigers vs. Rays

Time: 6:50 PM ET/3:50 PM PT

TV: Bally Sports Networks

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Tigers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Tigers pitching staff is leading the way to a surprising 13-10 start. They've allowed just one run in each of the last two games, and have allowed more than four runs just once in their past ten games. If your pitchers allow just four runs in each game, it gives you a great chance of winning.

The Tigers' surprising start is helped by their record away from home, boasting a 9-3 mark. Tropicana Field hasn't been a great place for the Rays this season, as they are just 7-8.

Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win

Jack Flaherty is a reliable pitcher since he rarely gets blown up when he's on the mound. He has gone six innings in each of his starts this season and had just one game where he allowed more than three runs. He hasn't tallied a win yet this season, but the Rays have won each of his three no-decisions. The Rays' bullpen has been a concern, making another good six-inning outing a welcome sight for Tampa Bay.

Final Tigers-Rays Prediction & Pick

These two teams have struggled to generate runs over their last ten games. The Tigers are batting .225, averaging 4.2 runs/nine and just 0.6 extra-base hits. The Rays are just as bad, averaging .233 and 3.6 runs/nine. Neither team is hitting for power, or average, which makes scoring runs hard to do.

Tyler Alexander allowed plenty of runs in his first two starts but performed well in his last game against the Yankees. The Yankees' offense has a lot more firepower than the Rays, which gives Alexander a good chance of success in this game.

Jack Flaherty has also been good, with just one bad outing out of four. It's discouraging that the blowup came against the Athletics, making it harder to trust him against poor offenses. However, the Rays haven't shown an ability to have an explosive offensive game. They haven't scored more than four runs since April 16th, seven games ago.

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Final Tigers-Rays Prediction & Pick: Under 8 (-102)