Detroit Starts Surging as White Sox Face Tigers

The MLB betting extravaganza.

Both clubs had the day off on Thursday after Chicago earned a series win at home against the Kansas City Royals by sweeping their three-game set at Kaufmann Stadium.

Chicago currently holds a 2.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins for the top spot in the division, but the Tigers only find themselves 5.5-games out after cutting their double-digit deficit in half over the last month of the season.

Chicago’s been a tremendous MLB wager at home (35-16 +$1355), but the stories been a whole lot different for them on the road like it’s been for a majority of the elite teams in the league this year. They currently sit five-games under .500 as a visitor, 22-27, and costing sports betting fanatics close to $300 on the year.

Since June 10th, the Tigers are 13-1 at home if you omit the horrible series they had against the Twins right before the break. Overall, they’re 28-20 on the year at Comerica Park costing its betting backers $25 on the season.

The White Sox got the best of the Tigers to start the year winning five of their first six meetings, but the Tigers anted up and swept them in their most recent series right here at Comerica Park back in mid June.

Taking the bump for the Palehose for the 20th time this season will be Gavin Floyd who lost his second start in a row against the Kansas City Royals in a game that saw his defense really let him down.

He threw six innings of four-hit ball, but an error by 3B Joe Crede proved costly allowing a pair of unearned runs to cross the plate in Chicago’s 9-1 home defeat. Floyd currently stands 10-6 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.20 WHIP allowing 91 hits and 62 runs (46 earned) with a K/BB ratio of 81/50 in 117+ total innings of work. His control has been an issue of late having walked three batters in each of his L/3 starts.

On the road, he’s 3-4 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. Gavin’s dominated the Tigers throughout his brief career posting a perfect 3-0 mark with a 2.43 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in six overall starts. He squared off against them in his first two starts of the year leading Chicago to a 5-3 victory at Comerica, and a dominating 7-0 win at “The Cell”. Overall, He threw 13+ innings of seven-hit and three-run ball in the pair of White Sox winners.

Opposing the righty will be left-hander Nate Robertson who comes into this start 6-8 with a lofty 5.69 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. It’s been more than a month since he’s earned a victory, and he’s coming off a woeful effort at Baltimore that saw him last just 2 1/3rd giving up eight hits and seven runs in a wild affair that saw Detroit fall short by an 11-10 final count.

He has been better at home this year evidenced by his 3-3 mark and 4.45 ERA, and the Tigers have won five of his nine overall starts. He’s split his pair of starts against the Palehose this year and is 6-6 with a 5.10 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 18 career starts against Chicago.

Oddsmakers opened the Tigers short –125 home favorites in tonight’s MLB wagers down before tonight’s first pitch.