At 4:10 PM ET, the Tigers and Astros square off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and the Astros are the slight favorite on the money line (-136). The Tigers' money line odds are sitting at +116, and they are 4th in the AL Central with a record of 33-36.
Today's over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and the forecast in Houston calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. Justin Verlander is starting for the Astros, while the Tigers are going with Jack Flaherty.
Detroit vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Tigers at Astros
- Where: Minute Maid Park Houston
- Date: Saturday, June 15th
- Betting Odds HOU -136 | DET +116 O/U 7.5
Tigers vs Astros Last Game Recap
Houston cruised to a 4-0 win over the Tigers in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 6th inning, scoring all four of their runs. As for the Tigers, they had their best chance to score in the 7th, but could only muster one run.
Hunter Brown started for the Astros and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with nine strikeouts but issued five walks. On the other side, Tarik Skubal got the start for the Tigers and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work.
Mauricio Dubon was the only player in the game to homer, going 1/3 with two RBIs. Jose Altuve scored twice for the Astros while going 2/3.
Tigers Preview
As underdogs, the Tigers are 16-21 straight up and 22-15 against the run line. They have an overall run line record of 30-39, including an 18-16 mark on the road. Detroit's straight-up record is 33-36, and they are currently 4th in the AL Central, 12 games behind the Guardians.
Detroit's over/under record for the season is 39-25-3, and games have averaged 8 runs per game. The under is on a two-game streak for the Tigers, and when the total is set at 7.5 runs, they have gone over in 12 of 20 games.
Through 12 starts, Jack Flaherty has a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 3.22. So far, he has made nine quality starts and is coming off a game in which he didn't allow a run. In that outing vs. the Rangers, Flaherty went five innings, picking up the win. Looking at his overall numbers, Flaherty has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.53. At home, his ERA is 4.32, and he is 0-3. For the season, he has allowed a total of nine homers. Flaherty's WHIP for the season is .96.
For the season, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. Their team batting average is just .230, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of home runs. However, Riley Greene has been a bright spot in the lineup, as he is hitting .245 for the season with a team-high 12 homers and 30 RBIs. Greene is also on a five-game hitting streak, and over his last six games, he has gone 7/25 with six runs batted in.
Matt Vierling and Kerry Carpenter are both tied for the team's 2nd most home runs this season, with eight apiece. Carpenter comes into the game with a batting average of .283, while Vierling is batting .262. However, Vierling has struggled of late, going just 3/26 in his last six games. Carpenter is also on a good stretch, as he has gone 9/22 in his last six games.
Astros Preview
When favored, the Astros are 25-30 straight up and 22-33 against the run line. They have an overall run line record of 30-40, with an average run margin of 4.1 runs in their wins and 3.2 runs in their losses. Houston's over/under record for the season is 25-42, and the average total runs per game in their matchups is 8.7.
The Astros are 6-4 in their last ten games and are currently eight games behind the Mariners in the AL West with a 32-38 overall record. They have a series record of 10-11-1 and are coming off a series loss to the White Sox. At home, Houston has an 18-18 straight-up record and a 16-20 run line record.
Right-hander Justin Verlander gets the start for the Astros today as he faces off against the Tigers. He has made 10 starts this year and has a record of 3-2 with an ERA of 3.95. Verlander's WHIP for the season is 1.21, and opponents are batting .237 off him this year. In his last outing, Verlander finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. This year, he has allowed a total of 11 home runs. Out of his 10 starts, Verlander has turned in five quality starts.
Jose Altuve has been swinging a hot bat for the Astros, going 9/21 in his last five games with a home run and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting .298 and is 3rd on the team with 26 RBIs. Yordan Alvarez is 2nd on the team with 36 RBIs and has 14 homers this season, which is 7th in the league. However, he is hitting just .211 in his last five games.
As a team, the Astros are the league's top team in terms of fewest strikeouts per game and have the 2nd best team batting average in the league. Overall, they are 4th in home runs and have the league's 5th best OPS. Houston's offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game and has been even better at home, averaging 4.8 runs per contest.
Tigers vs. Astros Prediction: Astros ML -136
Our prediction for this Tigers vs. Astros matchup is that the Astros will pick up a 5-4 win. Given that they are at -136 on the money line, this is the route we recommend going. We do see this as a close game, and if you're looking for an alternative, the over/under is sitting at 7.5 runs, and we have this one finishing with nine runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Verlander is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Jack Flaherty at six. However, Flaherty is projected to finish with a better ERA than Verlander. Offensively, the Astros are projected to finish with nine hits compared to the Tigers at nine.
