Athletics vs Tigers Prediction, Pick and Preview, August 31 (8/31): MLB

Athletics vs Tigers Prediction, Pick and Preview, August 31 (8/31): MLB

Credit: photo by Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

 
Odds
Time 7:10 p.m. EST
Athletics money line -117
Athletics run line -1.5 (+135)
Tigers money line -103
Tigers run line +1.5 (-159)
Over / under 9 (-110)

 

Key stats
  Athletics Tigers
Record 72-59 62-70
Road / home record 35-28 34-33
Last 10 record 4-6 4-6
Streak 2W 3L
Over / under record 59-69-3 56-72-4
Runs / game 4.42 4.28
Runs allowed / game 3.95 4.76

 

Preview

Today we have the Athletics traveling to Detroit to take on the Tigers.  Oakland is 4-0 against this Tigers team this year coming into this 3 game series. The A’s are 2 g games back in the AL wildcard while the Tigers are 12.5 games back, well out of the race.

 

The A’s come into this game going 2-3 in their last 5 games.  They just finished a 4 game series against the Yankees where they split the series 2-2.  They’ll now have to travel from the west coast to Detroit.  With Boston and the red hot Yankees ahead of them in the wildcard they’ll need to start playing some good ball and go on a run and that could start today.

 

The Tigers have been better than most expected this year, thanks to their young and some veteran talent.  They come into this game off some close games in their last 5 which were all 1 run games, going 1-4 in that stretch.  They’ll look to flip the switch against a mediocre pitcher today and put a win in the column. 

 

 

Pitching Matchup

 

Athletics

 

Cole Irvin (9-12, 3.68 ERA) will be on the bump for the A’s today to take on the Tigers. He comes in to this game with a 5.02 XFIP and 1.25 WHIP this season.  He was able to shut this Tigers team down the last time they met.  He only strikeouts out hitters at a 16.3% clip so if he can get the Tiger’s hitters to hit the balls to where the defense is he could find success again.

 

Tigers

 

Tarik Skubal (8-11, 4.01 ERA) will be be starting for the Tigers today when they take on the A’s.  Skubal got off to a rough start at the beginning of the season but has been really coming on strong the past month and a half.  He comes into this game with a 4.35 XFIP, 1.26 WHIP, and a nice 26.5% strikeout rate.  He still allows some power to right handed hitters so if he can contain those he should be able to pick up his 9th win of the season.     

 

Prediction

At first glance it looks like a mismatch when you just look at the names of the teams playing but that’s not the case.  The A’s have been good against left handed pitching this year but Skubal is a rising star for Detroit and has been pitching well.  Detroits last 5 games have all been decided by 1 run, all low scoring affairs. 

 

PICK:  Under 9 (-110)
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