Detroit Tigers (34-36) vs. Houston Astros (32-39)
June 16, 2024 2:10 pm EDT
The Line: Houston Astros / Detroit Tigers ; Over/Under: -
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article we will formulate a Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers prediction for this MLB game on Sunday, June 16th at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game three in the series.
Astros Trying to Bounce Back
The Houston Astros are 32-39 this year and they have lost four of their last six games. Houston won game one in this series by a score of 4-0, but was blown out in game two on Saturday. Prior to this series, the Astros lost two out of three against the Giants, won two out of three against the Angels, and won two out of three against the Cardinals. Houston is 6-6 in their last 12 games and they are third in the AL West behind Seattle and Texas.
The Houston pitching staff has a 4.25 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and a .242 opponent batting average. The Astros offense has scored 315 runs with a .259 batting average and a .319 on base percentage. Yordan Alvarez is batting .287 with 14 home runs and 36 RBI’s for the Astros this season. Houston is 22nd in team ERA this year and they have allowed at least four runs in four of their last six games.
Tigers Offense is Improving
The Detroit Tigers are 34-36 this season and they have lost three of their last five games. Detroit was shutout in game one of this series on Friday, but they won by a score of 13-5 in game two on Saturday. Prior to this series, the Tigers lost two out of three against the Nationals, lost two out of three against the Brewers, and won two out of three against the Rangers. Detroit is 3-6 in their last nine games and they are fourth in the NL Central behind Cleveland, Kansas City, and Minnesota.
The Detroit pitching staff has a 3.85 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a .241 opponent batting average. The Tigers offense has scored 303 runs with a .234 batting average and a .301 on base percentage. Riley Greene is batting .256 with 14 home runs and 36 RBI’s for the Tigers this season. Detroit has scored at least five runs in four of their last six games and they are 13th in the MLB in runs scored.
Starting Pitchers
Houston has not announced who will be starting on the mound for this game. The Astros had to start Arrighetti in Saturday’s game, after Verlander was scratched, so they are expected to call up a pitcher from the minor leagues. The projected starting pitcher for Detroit is Kenta Maeda, who is 2-2 with a 5.89 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over 44.1 innings pitched this season. Maeda has allowed one earned run or fewer in two of his last four outings, but did allow 12 earned runs and 13 hits in the other two outings in that span. Maeda has allowed at least five earned runs in four starts already this season.
Why the Houston Astros will win
The Astros have won each of their last six games following a home loss.
The Tigers have lost seven of their last eight day games against AL West opponents following a win.
The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine games against AL West opponents following a win.
The Astros have covered the run line in each of their last five day games following a loss.
Total Runs Facts
Nine of the Tigers’ last 10 day games against American League opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
Twelve of the Astros’ last 14 games against American League opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Tigers’ last three day games against American League opponents.
The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Astros’ last three day games against AL Central opponents.
Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers Prediction
Detroit was able to jump on Houston early in game two on Saturday and they will look for the series win here. The Tigers are 18-17 on the road this season, while the Astros are 18-19 at home. Houston continues to struggle way more than they should be with the lineup that they have, but they should do damage against Maeda in this game. It is tough to make a pick in this game without knowing what Houston is going to do on the mound, but I have seen enough from Maeda this season to not back him. My Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers prediction is for the Astros to win.
