Early Look AS Tigers Take On Orioles

Tigers vs. Orioles, 6:35 ET

For you youngsters out there, I am guessing that you won't know this, but there is a song out there from Meatloaf where he talks about three things: I like you, I love you, but I don't need you. Then, essentially, he says that two out of three aren't bad. What does a Meatloaf song have to do with sports betting? Nothing, expect yesterday we were able to get a 2-1 day on the diamond with the only game I didn't have correct on the Rays vs. Red Sox. Today we turn to a different AL East team as the Tigers take on the Orioles.

If you predicted the Tigers would be this good, this year, you probably should be writing the article instead of me. I never thought Detroit was going to be bad, but I didn't think they would be 20 games over .500 at this point. The Tigers have the largest lead in the division and don't show much sign of slowing down. The offense that was a concern for them last season is now a strength. They have almost 100 more runs than tonight's opponent, and are hitting .252 as a team. What is very nice is that they aren't relying on homers to score runs as they only have 71 for the season. You wouldn't be surprised to see a team with the reigning Cy Young to have a strong rotation, but that has been an even better part of their team this season. Today they get Casey Mize to take the pill for them, and he has been great. For the year, he is 6-1 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He hasn't been nearly as good on the road as he has at home, with a two-and-a-half ERA higher on the road. He hasn't gone overly deep into games lately, having five or fewer innings in three straight games. The Orioles have hit Mize pretty well, allowing 14 hits in 41 at-bats. He did hold them to eight hits and one run in 5.1 innings earlier this season. 

Aug 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin (24) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Likewise, if you thought that the Orioles would be this bad this season, you would be more accurate than me. The Orioles are the opposite of Detroit with their season probably over already. They are 26-39 for the season which doesn't seem like I should be counting them out, but very little has gone right for Baltimore this year. The team that had a very good offense for multiple seasons now seems to be allergic to scoring runs. They have the 25th most runs scored this season. The offense has been bad, but the pitching staff has been bad as well. They have a 5.08 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Tonight they have Zach Eflin with a 5-2 record, 4.47 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. Those aren't terrible numbers and he has been one of the better pitchers for Baltimore. He is just 1-2 at home with a 5.40 ERA. He is in good form, posting back-to-back quality starts, but he allowed 14 earned runs in 15 innings prior to that. Eflin has been pretty good against the Tigers, holding them to just a .210 batting average in 62 at-bats. 

The Tigers and Orioles have played each other four times already this season, and the results are… not in Baltimore's favor. The Orioles lost all four of the games and now search for their first head-to-head victory. Mize is probably the better pitcher, but I don't think this is the ideal spot. Eflin has had a couple of good starts, but hasn't been great overall. I do lean toward the over, but I think it is possible Mize can throw five shutout innings. I'm going to lean on him here and take the Tigers through five innings. 

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