Astros Coasting in AL West
The Houston Astros try inch closer to a division title when they begin a three-game series against the host Detroit Tigers on Monday night. Houston has won three of its last four and is atop the American League West standings by 11 games over the second-place Seattle Mariners.
Detroit had a three-game winning streak snapped with a loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday and is in last place in the AL Central, 2½ games behind the Royals. The Tigers have been competitive at home, so make sure you read our in-depth preview of this game before you do any betting online.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Astros vs Tigers. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions for you to consider.
Astros: Power Play
The Houston Astros have a solid offense that can explode when enough players get hot, and on Sunday, that happened. Houston hit five home runs in the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, winning 12-4 after rallying from an early 3-0 deficit.
“It’s really fun, especially with an un-ideal start to the game,” Astros outfielder Trey Mancini said after Sunday’s win. “Luis (Garcia) did such a good job of bouncing back and throwing four great innings after the first, and he kept us in the game. Luckily, our offense had a great day.“
The biggest blast of the game came from the bat of third baseman Alex Bregman, who hit a grand slam in the third to put the Astros ahead for good. Bregman is batting .266 with 35 doubles, 21 home runs, 82 RBIs and 84 runs scored.
Mancini also had a home run, his seventh in 32 games with Houston after coming to the team in a midseason trade from the Baltimore Orioles. Mancini has 17 home runs in 2022, batting .254 with 19 doubles, a triple, 61 RBIs and 53 runs scored.
Left-hander Framber Valdez will get the start for the series opener. Valdez is 14-5 with a 2.64 ERA, striking out 161 in 170⅔ innings over 26 starts. He took the loss in his last outing, going 6⅔ innings against the Texas Rangers and allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out 11 and walking four.
Tigers’ Offense Goes Quiet in Loss
In taking the first two games of their weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, the Detroit Tigers scored a total of 18 runs. But in the series finale, the inconsistent offense of the team came out again, as they managed just four hits in a shutout loss on Sunday. Detroit has scored the fewest runs in baseball, so that offensive inconsistency is nothing new.
First baseman Spencer Torkelson had the only extra-base hit of the contest for Detroit with a double. The 23-year-old rookie is on a six-game hitting streak and is batting .210 with 13 doubles, a triple, six home runs, 23 RBIs and 28 runs scored in 91 games.
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will make his 13th start on Monday. Rodriguez is 3-4 with a 4.13 ERA, striking out 50 in 61 innings on the mound. He took a no-decision in his last outing against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, allowing three runs on five hits, including three home runs, over seven innings while striking out four and walking none.
Astros vs Tigers Head-To-Head
The Houston Astros have already clinched the season series with the Detroit Tigers, having swept a four-game series earlier in the season. That’s a major turnaround from the 2021 results, which saw Detroit take five of the seven matchups.
Houston has had plenty of success in Detroit, going 8-2 at Comerica Park since the start of the 2018 campaign. A look at the MLB lines for Monday’s contest shows the Astros are expected to keep that success going in the opener.
Astros vs Tigers Game Information
- Game: Astros (90-50) vs Tigers (54-86)
- Location: Comerica Park, Detroit
- Day/Time: Monday, Sept. 12, 6:40 p.m. ET
- Astros vs Tigers Live Stream: MLB.tv
Astros vs Tigers Betting Lines
Team | RunLine | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
Houston Astros
F. Valdez -L |
-1½ -125 | -215 | 7 -120o | 4½ Evo
4½ -130u |
Detroit Tigers
E. Rodriguez -L |
+1½ +105 | +185 | 7 Evu | 2½ -120o
2½ -110u |
Astros vs Tigers Prediction
The Houston Astros are fighting to earn the best record in the American League, and they’re playing like a top contender for the World Series title. The Detroit Tigers are playing out the last few weeks of the season, and they’ll have more trouble scoring runs against the Astros in this one.
When doing your MLB betting, take Houston to win on the road.
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”