No Skubal? No problem. The Detroit Tigers just took down the Seattle Mariners last night and have one of the best records in baseball since the All-Star break. After scoring eight-plus runs in six straight games, they now take the field at T-Mobile Park again tonight with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive in with a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s Tigers vs. Mariners game courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tigers vs. Mariners prediction, preview
With yesterday’s win, the Tigers moved to 55-58 with a +71 run differential, notably amassing the fifth-best record in baseball since the All-Star break at 11-6 in this span. The Mariners, meanwhile, fell to 55-59 with a -5 differential, and they’re just 7-10 since the break themselves.
Tonight, Detroit starts RHP Drew Anderson (4-4). He’s thrown 63.2 innings this season, amassing a 4.24 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP. He’s also struck out 78 hitters, leading to an excellent 28.2% K%, though a 9.0% BB% is below average. The bullpen behind him him has the eighth-best ERA at 3.81 alongside a 1.32 WHIP and a 12.4% K-BB%.
Seattle trots out RHP Bryan Woo (7-8), who has 120.1 IP under his belt this year. He’s racked up a 4.56 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP, striking out 122 batters in this span. That means a 24.5% K%, while a 5.2% BB% is also elite. The Mariners’ bullpen still ranks fifth with a 3.70 ERA, plus a 1.30 WHIP and a 14.3% K-BB%.
The Tigers’ hitters have moved to 11th in OPS on the year thanks to their recent hot streak, not bringing a .731 mark. The power upside is clear with a a .169 ISO that ranks sixth overall and 141 home runs, ninth most. They also slash .248/.318/.425 with a .743 OPS against right-handers, the better of their splits. The Mariners’ split against righties reads .234/.313/.389 with a .702 OPS, but this offense isn’t living up to its potential. A .705 OPS ranks 27th on the campaign and they’re near the bottom of the MLB in scoring as well. Plus, a .148 ISO falls 24th and the 132 home runs are 15th most.
Tigers vs. Mariners pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Mariners as a -140 Moneyline favorite at their home ballpark, while the Tigers enter as +131 underdogs to win on the road tonight. The run total is set at 7.5.
There’s no hotter offense right now than Detroit, which comes off six straight outings of eight or more runs and has an MLB-best .829 OPS over the second half since the break. That also includes a .285/.347/.482 line with a .197 ISO and 26 homers, the last stat of which ranks fourth among all clubs. It’s hard to understate just how good the Tigers look at the dish right now, and their 106 runs are good for 6.24 a night. Woo has a low WHIP and plus-strikeout upside on the year, but he also recorded a 6.43 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in four July starts. He allowed five earned runs in each of his last two games at that, so he’s simply not in great form at the moment, too.
With a cold pitcher meeting a scorching lineup, I see this as another perfect chance for an outright Tigers win after we cashed on the ML last night. Only this time, we’re looking at +131 odds, even better value.
