Saturday brings a robust MLB slate with seven games across the 4 p.m. EST window. One of the featured contests across that slate takes center stage as the Detroit Tigers battle the Philadelphia Phillies in the second game of this series between top playoff contenders. With Cy Young candidates Zack Wheeler and Tarik Skubal set to duel, this looks like a must-watch affair for baseball fans everywhere.
Here’s a Phillies vs. Tigers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this Saturday afternoon matinee.
Phillies vs. Tigers prediction, preview
The Tigers slumped a tad coming out of the All-Star break but rattled off four straight wins before last night’s 5-4 loss to these these Phillies. Detroit fell to 64-47 on the campaign with that result, while Philadelphia moved to 62-47 overall and 7-6 since the All-Star Game.
In yesterday’s outing, the home team didn’t get much going at the plate until the late innings. Once they hit their stride though, it was game over as Philly scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth and walked the game off with two runs in the bottom ninth to win 5-4. Thanks to an Otto Kemp RBI double and the winning single courtesy of Bryson Stott, the Phillies ended the matchup with the win and eight hits to the Tigers’ five.
Generally, both of these offenses are plenty capable of putting up runs as each rank top 10 in scoring on the season. However, the Phillies hit better for average and reach base at a higher rate than the Tigers, though the latter scores more often via momentum-swinging home runs.
That scoring should be hard to come by as the matchup on the mound creates plenty of hype. In a premier battle, Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (2.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 172 SO) battles against Tigers southpaw Tarik Skubal (2.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 171 SO). These two elite arms rank second and third in strikeouts among the entirety of professional baseball, so this may end up one of the best pitching showcases of the entire season.
Phillies vs. Tigers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Phillies as -108 home underdogs on the Moneyline on Saturday while the visiting Tigers come in as -112 favorites. The run total sits at an even seven, the lowest of the entire slate.
The under for this game may be low, but there’s reason to believe that line may still cash. Both starting pitchers rank within the top 10 in ERA and they’re No. 1 and No. 2 in WHIP as well. In a monumental matchup, hitters should have a difficult time reaching base. Between the fact that each of these guys likely goes fairly deep into this game, the scoreboard workers probably won’t see much action until the later innings.
Even then, this could stay under seven runs even through the end of the contest. These teams’ bullpens both rank in the MLB’s bottom half in ERA, but the Phillies took a major swing at the Trade Deadline with the acquisition of Jhoan Duran, who was the top closer on the market. His addition adds some much-needed star power to Philadelphia’s bullpen and I feel fairly confident that this game still goes under the total.
Best bet: Under seven runs (-123)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
