The Detroit Tigers will head south to take on the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park. The game gets underway 8:05 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Southwest is in line to broadcast this AL matchup.
Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers Odds
Oddsmakers have put equal moneyline odds (-105) on both of these teams. Bettors can wager on the game’s total with odds sitting at -110 for over 9.5 runs and -110 for under 9.5. The game’s most recent runline odds sit at +140 for taking the Tigers -1.5 runs and -160 for the Rangers +1.5.
The Tigers have gone 14-19 SU this year and are 17-15 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 1.8 units for moneyline bettors through the early portions of the season and 0.8 units ATS. Detroit has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in six of those seven. The Rangers, on the other hand, are 13-23 SU and 15-20 ATS. They’ve lost 2.5 units for moneyline bettors and 9.2 units ATS. Texas has a 3-4 ATS record over its last seven games and the over has hit in five of those seven.
Texas games have an over/under record of 19-14-2 so far in 2018. Tigers games have gone under 19 times, gone over 13 times and pushed on zero instances.
Michael Fulmer will get the start for the visiting Tigers. The right-handed Fulmer is 1-2 with a 2.80 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Rangers this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (0-1, 9.00 ERA and two strikeouts across five innings).
The Rangers are putting the ball in the left hand of Matt Moore (1-4, 7.67 ERA), who’s got 18 strikeouts and 13 walks this season as well as a 1.91 WHIP. Moore did not record a start against the Tigers in 2017.
As a unit, Texas’ pitching staff has given up 5.4 runs per game overall this year. Its starting pitching staff has a 5.20 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.61 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 8.1 K/9.
Texas’ hitters have produced 4.0 runs per contest, including 5.0 per game over its last 10 games and 4.4 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .209/.263/.417 over its last five matchups and is 1-4 SU during that stretch.
First baseman Joey Gallo and right fielder Nomar Mazara have led the Rangers’ batters this year. Gallo is hitting .223/.303/.531 with 12 home runs, 24 RBIs and 22 runs scored, while Mazara’s line sits at .278/.333/.481 with seven homers, 23 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
Compared to his total season slash line of .253/.323/.422, Mazara enjoyed hitting against right-handed pitching at home in 2017, slashing .312/.379/.526 across 240 plate appearances.
In the visiting dugout, Detroit’s pitching staff allowed 4.6 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 3.78 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 7.01 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.75, along with a WHIP of 1.23 and a K/9 of 8.30.
Tigers hitters have slashed .257/.318/.407 on their way to 4.3 runs scored per game this season, including 3.2 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 3.2 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Detroit’s hitters have been led by first baseman Miguel Cabrera and right fielder Nicholas Castellanos. Cabrera is hitting .323/.407/.516 with three home runs, 21 RBIs and 13 runs scored, while Castellanos (.311/.364/.492) is up to three homers, 21 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
Putting up a slash line of .316/.451/.456 across 71 such plate appearances, Cabrera seemed to enjoy hitting lefty pitching on the road last year (compared to his overall season slash line of .249/.329/.397).
The Tigers have lost 1.6 units and are 2-3 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in four of those games, compared to one that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Rangers have lost 0.1 units and are 11-14 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 12 of those games, compared to 12 which went under the total.
Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Rangers, ATS Winner – Rangers, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Trends
The Rangers have lost four of their last five games SU.
Detroit fielders have four errors over the last 10 games, compared to nine errors for Texas over its last 10.
The Tigers have hit six home runs in their last 10 games. The Rangers have hit 19 over their last 10.
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