The Detroit Tigers are on the road at the Houston Astros on Friday. Both teams are under .500 on the season. Detroit is 33-35, which is fourth in the American League Central. THe Tigers have dropped back to back games at home to the Nationals , but came back with a win on Thursday. Detroit is 5-5 in their last 10 games.
For the Houston Astros, they are 31-38. Houston has seen big time struggles all season, which has them third in the American League West. The Astros are 5-5 in their last 10 games, which includes a loss at the Giants on Wednesday.
The Tigers and Astros are both -108 in this game.
Tigers Use their Ace
Tarik Skubal goes to the mound for the Detroit Tigers. Skubal has been terrific this season. He is 8-1 with a 1.92 earned run average. He is making his 14th start of the season, and has tossed 79.2 innings. During that time, he has struck out 96 batters, while walking 15. He has allowed just 5 homeruns on the season.
The Tigers are not great offensively. They are scoring just 4.2 runs per game. Their team batting average is .230, and they are 23rd in homeruns, with 61 on the season. The pitching is allowing 4.4 runs per game. Opponents are hitting .241 off them this season.
The top Detroit offensive threats have been Riley Greene with 12 homeruns and 14 doubles, along with Matt Canha and Keon Carpenter. Canha has 11 doubles, while Carpenter has cracked 8 homeruns and ripped 10 doubles.
Astros Looking for Consistent Play
Houston does not have terrible numbers in any facet of the game. They also are not great at anything. But, their right in the middle has them 7 games under .500. The Astros are scoring 4.4 runs per game. Houston is hitting one of the best in the league at .259. The team ERA is 20th, at 4.18.
Offensively, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez lead the charge. Alvarez is second on the team to Kyle Tucker in homeruns. Tucker has 19 on the season. The best batting averages are Altuve at .294 and Alvarez at .293. Pena is right behind, at .292.
Hunter Brown is on the hill for the Houston Astros. Brown has struggled this season with a 2-5 record and a 5.58 earned run average. Brown has made 12 starts, and thrown 61.1 innings. He has struck out 67 batters, while walking 29.
Too much Skubal
Look for the Detroit Tigers to win this game. Sure, it is on the road, but Skubal does not matter where this game is. He has been fantastic, and is ready to do so again in this game. The Tigers offense scores enough to win this game on the road. Our final bet for the game on Friday is the Detroit Tigers -108 over the Houston Astros. Enjoy the game and best of luck with all your Major League Baseball betting!
