We start the week with a 10-game MLB slate as teams take the diamond across the country beginning at 6:40 p.m. EST. The opening contest of today’s schedule gets rolling out in Detroit’s Comerica Park as the Tigers host the Tampa Bay Rays to kick off a three-game series between AL contenders.
Here’s a Tigers vs. Rays prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Monday’s action.
Tigers vs. Rays prediction, preview
Detroit Tigers
With MLB All-Star festivities coming up in just a few days, few teams look as formidable as the Detroit Tigers. The squad earned their stripes last season with a successful campaign and a series win in the playoffs, but they’ve truly taken things up a notch and blossomed into a true World Series threat in 2025. They hold sole possession of the MLB’s best record at 57-34 and are a dominant 30-14 when playing at home as well as 7-3 across their last 10 outings.
The Tigers rank top 10 in each of the slash line stats with the fifth-most runs and eighth-most homers of any team so far. An efficient offense operates handily thanks to a trio of freshly-crowned All-Stars in Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and a resurgent Javier Baez. Contributions from Zach McKinstry and Spencer Torkelson also propel a high-powered attack, but the pitching staff excels with the third-best ERA and fifth-best WHIP in the league. As a whole, the Tigers have allowed the fifth-fewest runs as they just flat-out rout the competition on a frequent basis.
In short, this team is for real.
Tampa Bay Rays
As of a couple weeks ago, the Tampa Bay Rays has pushed their way towards the top of the AL East and looked like they might be there to stay. While still 49-41 on the campaign, the Rays are 4-6 across their last 10 contests as they reel from three consecutive series losses to the Orioles, Athletics and Twins. Hope isn’t lost by any means and it’s a long season, so there’s not reason to panic just yet. Still, Tampa needs to get back on the right foot and have their work cut out for them in this series.
The Rays are third in team AVG and tied for ninth in OPS while scoring the seventh-most runs and mashing the 14th-most homers. Tampa Bay deploys their own pair of All-Star reserves in Jonathan Aranda and Brandon Lowe, while DH Yandy Diaz was arguably snubbed from the honor himself. The Rays generally excel primarily through their offense but do maintain a respectable pitching staff which comes in at 12th in ERA but fourth in WHIP. The pitching and defense has allowed the 11th-fewest runs overall as well.
While not the same caliber team as the opposing Tigers, the Rays should keep this a competitive series and put up a fight here.
Tigers vs. Rays pick, best bet
Perhaps a bit surprisingly, the odds don’t indicate a blowout for the home team in this one. The Rays are actually a -121 Moneyline favorite on the road while the Tigers are -101 to win outright. The run total sits at 8.5 between these two contenders.
Keider Montero takes the mound for the Tigers tonight with 56.0 innings of work on the season. In that span, he’s thrown to the tune of a 4.02 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 39 strikeouts. This does mark his first start since June 1, so it’s been over a month since he last opened a game for Detroit.
Shane Baz gets the starting nod for the Rays for the 18th time this season. He’s thrown 97.2 innings on the campaign with a 4.33 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 97 punchouts overall. He did give up seven hits and three earned runs in his last start on July 1, but he also struck out 11 batters in that outing against the Athletics.
The best bet for tonight’s Tigers vs. Rays matchup appears clear. Bettors can grab 6+ strikeouts for Baz at +120 odds, a great value considering that he’s reached that tally in each of his last four starts and nine of 17 on the season. With a hit rate over 50% and 45 strikeouts across his last seven starts, I expect Baz to sit plenty of batters down tonight even if the Rays don’t win the game.
Best bet: Shane Baz 6+ strikeouts thrown
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
