Thursday's forecast in Detroit calls for scattered clouds and temperatures in the low 60s. The Rays and Tigers face off at 1:10 PM ET from Comerica Park in Detroit. Tyler Alexander is starting for the Rays, and he is facing off against Reese Olson. Detroit is favored on the money line, and the over/under line is 7.5 runs.
The Tigers are currently on a four-game winning streak and are 84-74 this season, while the Rays are 78-80 overall. Tampa Bay is +139 on the money line, and the under is paying out at -109. BSSUN is carrying this game on TV.
Tampa Bay vs. Detroit Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Rays at Tigers
- Where: Comerica Park Detroit
- Date: Thursday, September 26th
- Betting Odds DET -164 | TB +139 O/U 7.5
Rays vs Tigers Last Game Recap
Detroit cruised to a 7-1 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Tigers had a huge 2nd inning, scoring two of their seven runs. As for the Rays, they scored their only run in the 3rd. Heading into the game, the Tigers were favored at -129 on the money line.
Keider Montero only went 2 2/3 innings for the Tigers but gave up just one run and one hit. He finished the game with two strikeouts but issued two walks. On the other side, Zack Littell got the start for the Rays and gave up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Parker Meadows and Spencer Torkelson each homered for the Tigers, while Riley Greene scored twice and drove in a run while going 2/4. Dillon Dingler also had a two-hit game at the plate.
Rays Preview
As underdogs, the Rays have been a profitable run line bet, going 57-33, but as favorites, they are just 24-44. Their overall run line record is 81-77. The over/under record for Rays games this season is 66-83, and their games have averaged 7.9 runs. Today's O/U line is 7.5 runs, which is lower than usual, as 55.7% of their games have had higher O/U lines.
Tampa Bay is currently 14 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and trail the Red Sox by 1.5 games for the final Wild Card spot. They have lost two straight games and are down 0-2 in their series vs. the Tigers.
Tyler Alexander is getting the start for the Rays today and comes into the game with a record of 6-5 and an ERA of 5.35. So far this season, he has made 22 appearances and eight starts. In his 102 2/3 innings of work, Alexander has allowed 23 home runs and is averaging 7.36 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his last outing, Alexander went 4 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and one earned run. He finished with a no-decision in the outing. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight appearances.
So far this season, the Rays offense is averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have a team batting average of just .230. One of the few bright spots in their lineup has been Yandy Diaz, who is batting .282 for the season and leads the team with 65 RBIs. He is also 3rd on the team with 14 homers.
Christopher Morel and Brandon Lowe are tied for the team lead in homers, but Morel is batting just .195, and Lowe is not much better at .239. Jose Siri is 2nd on the team in homers but is hitting just .190 for the season. Jonathan Aranda has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 5/19 with three homers in his last six games.
Tigers Preview
Currently on a four-game winning streak, the Tigers are 84-74 and trail the Guardians by 7.5 games in the AL Central. Detroit's overall run line record is 85-73, with a 51-30 mark on the road and 62-34 as underdogs. Their average run margin in wins is +3.5, while it is -3.4 in losses.
For games with an over/under line of 7.5 runs, the Tigers have gone over 22 times and under 18 times this season. Their games have averaged 8.2 runs, and 62.7% of their matchups have had higher total lines than today's 7.5 runs.
Detroit is sending right-hander Reese Olson to the mound today vs. the Rays. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 4-8 with an ERA of 3.49. So far, he has turned in nine quality starts and is averaging 8.14 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, opponents are batting .234 off Olson this season. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in three innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight outings. Olsen has been much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 4.35 compared to 4.03 on the road.
Heading into today's game, the Tigers are 18th in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. As a team, the Tigers are batting just .235, which is 17th in the league, and their on-base percentage of .299 is also near the bottom of the league. Detroit's team OPS of .686 is 19th in the league.
Riley Greene has been the Tigers' top run producer this season, with 73 RBIs and a team-leading 24 home runs. Greene is batting .264 for the season and has gone 8/30 in his last seven games. Kerry Carpenter is also swinging a hot bat right now, as he has two homers in his last seven games while batting .294.
Rays vs. Tigers Prediction: Rays ML +139
Our prediction for today's Rays vs. Tigers matchup is to take the Rays on the money line, with the payout sitting at +139. We actually have the Rays winning this one by a score of 6-5.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, Tyler Alexander is predicted to finish with five strikeouts, while Reese Olson is projected to finish with six. Olson is also projected to go fewer innings than Alexander.
