Justin Verlander may not be having the best season of his career this year, but maybe a date with the Tampa Bay Rays will have the righty looking like his Cy Young self. Verlander has cruised past the Rays in his most recent outings against the squad, as the Tigers pitcher has a 1.57 ERA in his past three against Tampa.
- The Rays are 3-0 SU in their last 3 games against the Tigers.
- The total has gone OVER in the Rays' last 7 games.
- The Tigers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games after losing as a favorite.
The Rays will counter with the steady Alex Cobb when the four-game set kicks off in Detroit Thursday. After a rocky start to the season, Cobb has found his changeup and allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his past nine starts. The right-hander has struggled away from Tropicana Field this season with a 5.01 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .311.
The Tigers find themselves falling down the AL Central standings by going 2-6 in their past eight outings. Detroit has surrendered 5.5 runs per game in their past eight games including two games in which they gave up 11. On the reverse, the Rays have gone 6-2 in their past eight while averaging 6.3 rpg.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Those going with the Detroit Tigers in this one found them listed on the odds board as moneyline favorites of -150 at Sportsbook for Thursday's contest. The betting total was hovering near 9 at Sportsbook.
Odds Shark computer prediction formulas pick a 6.7-5.1 win for the Rays on Thursday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Detroit Tigers bring a 30-34 record to the battle against the 35-33 Rays. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Detroit vs Tampa Bay injuries news.
According to MLB Power Rankings here, it's the No. 10-ranked Detroit Tigers and the No. 19-rated Tampa Bay Rays in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
When it comes to getting on base, the visiting Tampa Bay Rays rank No. 14 at 8.69 hits per game. That compares with the Detroit Tigers No. 15 ranking in that category.
Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping betting factors and Detroit has the No. 22-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Rays own the No. 12 mark in runs allowed.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Tampa Bay looks to rebound from a loss to the Blue Jays, who beat them 7-6 on Wednesday behind a start from F Liriano at Rogers Centre.
The Tigers endured a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, with J Zimmermann throwing 8 innings of 6-hit ball at Comerica Park.
- Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
- Tampa Bay is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
- Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- Detroit is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
- Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games
- Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Tampa Bay at Detroit, Friday, June 16th
