The Detroit Tigers (21-22) travel to face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks (21-23) on Friday, May 17th. This game will be played at Chase Field in Phoenix and televised on BSDET. The Diamondbacks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Tigers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Marlins. First pitch is set for 9:40 ET.
Tigers vs Diamondbacks
The Tigers will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Marlins with a 2-0 loss. This was especially tough, as they were the heavy favorite at -166. Offensively, the Tigers only had three fewer hits than the Marlins but didn’t score a run. Carson Kelly was hot at the plate, going 3/3 with a run scored, but the Tigers couldn’t get anything else going.
Casey Mize started for the Tigers, going six innings and giving up two earned runs on just two hits. He also issued three walks and took the loss. Detroit’s bullpen was excellent, though, as they didn’t give up a run and struck out eight in three innings of work.
Detroit is 21-22 overall and trails the Guardians by 5.5 games in the AL Central. The Tigers have dropped two straight games, and they lost the final two games of their series vs. the Marlins. So far, they have gone 10-6 in AL Central matchups.
At home, the Tigers are just 10-13 this year, but they have gone 11-9 on the road. As the road favorite, the Tigers are 3-1 this year, and they are 11-10 overall as the favorite. Detroit’s series record is 6-6-2, and they have lost four straight series.
The Tigers have been a profitable team to bet on the run line this season, going 19-24 overall. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 13-7 against the run line. They have covered the run line in three straight road games and are 15-7 against the run line as an underdog this season.
Despite the Tigers’ recent under streak, their over/under record is just below .500 on the season. Their games have averaged 7.8 runs per game, and the Tigers have played 30.2% of their games with an over/under line set at 8 runs. Their over/under record in those games is 3-6-2. Their last three games have all gone under the total, with the combined runs in those games being 2, 1, and 11.
Tarik Skubal Gets The Start For The Tigers
Tarik Skubal gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces the Diamondbacks on the road. He has made 8 starts this year and has a record of 5-0 with an ERA of 2.02. Skubal’s WHIP for the season is .86, and he has turned in 6 quality starts. Skubal’s most recent outing came against the Astros, where he picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. The left-hander has won each of his last three starts. Per nine innings, Skubal is averaging 11.02 strikeouts. So far, he has allowed a total of three home runs.
Tigers Offense Breakdown
Mark Canha and Riley Greene have been the Tigers’ most consistent power threats this season, with Canha leading the team with 20 RBIs and Greene’s nine home runs putting him 5th in the league and 1st on the team. Canha is batting .241 this season, and Greene is at .239. Canha is also on a three-game hitting streak. Over his last eight games, Andy Ibanez is batting .310 with two homers and five RBIs.
Overall, the Tigers are averaging just 3.9 runs per game and are near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. As a team, they are batting just .225 and have a collective on-base percentage of .297. Detroit’s team slugging percentage is just .358.
Heading into their last game vs. the Reds, the Diamondbacks closed out the series with a 2-1 win. Leading up to thethe game, they were the heavy favorite at -156. Offensively, the Diamondbacks only scored two runs on six hits and didn’t have a big inning. Their lone bright spot was a 2nd inning home run from Christian Walker.
Brandon Pfaadt put together a good start for the Diamondbacks, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Arizona’s bullpen closed things out with Paul Sewald picking up the save.
Arizona is hosting the Tigers today with an overall record of 21-23, which has them 2nd in the NL West. The Diamondbacks are seven games behind the Dodgers for the lead in the NL West, and they are 9-8 in divisional matchups this year.
The Diamondbacks have been playing well recently, going 7-3 across their last 10 games. They closed out their series vs. the Reds with two straight wins to take the series 2-1. So far, they are 11-11 at home and 10-12 on the road. As the underdog, the Diamondbacks are 10-14 this year and 11-9 when favored.
When the Diamondbacks win, they do so by an average of 4.6 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.5 runs per game. Overall, they have a +0.3 run differential, but they are just 21-23 against the run line this season. They have been a better bet on the road, going 12-10 against the run line compared to 9-13 at home. They have been a better bet as an underdog, going 14-10 against the run line compared to 7-13 as the favorite. They have covered the run line in two straight games as the underdog.
Arizona’s over/under record is 18-24 for the season, and their games have averaged 9.4 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 8 runs. The Diamondbacks have played 34 games with higher over/under lines than 8 runs, going over in 18 of them. Their games have gone under the over/under line in 8 of 44 games this season.
Ryne Nelson Gets The Start For The Diamondbacks
Right-hander Ryne Nelson is getting the start for the Diamondbacks today vs. the Tigers. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 5.33. Nelson’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.70. In his 25 1/3 innings of work, Nelson has allowed four home runs and is coming off a start in which he allowed three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Nelson has made one quality start this year and is averaging 6.75 strikeouts per nine innings.
Diamondbacks Offense Breakdown
Arizona’s offense has been one of the best in the league so far this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 5th in the majors. They have been even better at home, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, the Diamondbacks are batting .245, which is 11th in the league, and they have been tough to strike out, as their 7 strikeouts per game is the 6th best mark in the MLB. Arizona’s offense has also done a good job of drawing walks this season.
Christian Walker and Ketel Marte have been the top power threats for the Diamondbacks so far, with Walker leading the team with eight homers and Marte right behind him with nine. Marte is also on a 15-game hitting streak but has struggled over his last nine games, batting just .225 with four homers. However, he has driven in nine runs over that stretch. Walker has gone 13/32 in his last 10 games.
Tigers vs Diamondbacks Prediction
Our pick for this Tigers vs. Diamondbacks matchup is to take the Diamondbacks on the money line at +121. We have the Diamondbacks winning this one by a score of 5-4. With the payout for a Diamondbacks win sitting at +121, there is a lot of value in taking them to win outright.
Looking at the starting pitchers, both Tarik Skubal and Ryne Nelson are projected to have solid outings. However, Nelson is actually projected to finish with fewer strikeouts than Skubal, but we still have the Diamondbacks coming out on top.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 17, 2024 Diamondbacks, Tigers