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The Detroit Tigers will host the Houston Astros for the second of a four-game set at Comerica Park on Friday night. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Astros-Tigers prediction and pick.
Houston has been the best team in the entire league over the past few weeks and it isn’t really close. They have won 10 straight games and are outscoring their opponents by a ridiculous amount. Detroit has been playing fairly well lately, but was certainly outclassed in the first game of this series. The Astros beat them up early and often in a 12-3 victory.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Astros-Tigers odds.
MLB Odds: Astros-Tigers Odds
Houston Astros -1.5 (-163)
Detroit Tigers +1.5 (+143)
Over 9.5 Runs (-103)
Under 9.5 Runs (-117)
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
The Houston Astros are beginning to look a lot like that juggernaut squad that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the past few years. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a stretch like this from them before, though. Houston has won 10 straight behind some of the most ridiculous offensive numbers we’ve ever seen.
The Astros are averaging 7.9 runs per game and have allowed over three runs just once during this current 10-game winning streak. They have scored double-digit runs in three of their last four games. Houston is now averaging 5.83 runs per game for the season, which is the best mark in the league by a long-shot. Their pitching has been remarkable as well with the eighth-fewest runs allowed per game this season.
Houston will turn to left-hander Framber Valdez for the second game of this series. Valdez has been lights out this season with a 4-0 record and 1.67 ERA through five starts. The Astros southpaw has allowed just six earned runs over 32.1 innings of work. Valdez seems to be taking the next step in his career and this level of success seems sustainable from the crafty left-hander. He has gone at least seven innings in three straight starts and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of them.
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
The Detroit Tigers are now 32-43 on the season and 12.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. This is a club in the middle of a long rebuild, but the Tigers have been putting up a fight lately. Detroit has won three of their last four games and six of their last 10. The offense has been producing for this club and we are starting to see some improvements from the starting rotation.
The Tigers have scored at least five runs in three of their last four games. They are now averaging 3.95 runs per game, which is still just 24th in the Majors. Their offensive numbers have actually been slightly worse at home this season. The pitching staff has seen a slight bump at home with 4.65 runs allowed per game at Comerica Park. The Tigers plethora of key injuries certainly isn’t helping their cause as they enter the dog days of summer, though.
Detroit will turn to right-hander Wily Peralta as they look to even the series. Peralta has really struggled through his first two appearances of the season. He is 0-1 with a 7.11 ERA and three strikeouts through 6.1 innings of work. He lost his lone start against the Angels as he gave up five earned runs through five innings of work in the loss.
Final Astros-Tigers Prediction & Pick
I do not advise anyone to bite the bait and take the Tigers with great value. Houston is in another world right now and they have shown no signs of slowing down any time soon. The Tigers haven’t been horrible lately, but they don’t even belong on the same field right now. No one does. There isn’t enough value to justify siding with Houston right now, but why not take an over that they have covered alone in three of their last four games.
FINAL PICK: Over 9.5 Runs (-103)
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