Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees: Odds, Prediction
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Kevin Thompkins
The Detroit Tigers (36-49) and New York Yankees (48-36) will meet up for the second game of this early-week three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
The Tigers took the first game 7-3 and will look to keep the momentum going as they look to get back on track. The Tampa Bay Rays have taken back first place in the AL East with a huge surge, coupled with the Yankees’ five-game losing streak, to put the Yankees back of the division lead by 1.5 games. Meanwhile, the Tigers are free-falling out of the AL Central race, having lost five of their last seven games after winning Monday’s game.
This game promises to be a good one, so let’s predict a winner and break down things down.
New York is a -125 favourite to win on the MLB odds, with the total set at 7.0.
MLB Betting Odds and Trends
Both teams are in extended funks over the last week and a change, plating runs across. While Detroit is middle of the pack scoring 4.3 runs per game over their last 10, the Yankees in the same timeframe are scoring just 2.6 runs per game leading up to this series. That’s good for 27th in MLB. It’s no wonder they’ve given up control of the AL East to Tampa Bay.
At least both teams are top-10 in ERA over that same stretch of games. Looking at the lines and with the run total set at 8.0, the Under looks pretty good here, especially given the caliber of pitching starting for both teams.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are barely treading water above the Kansas City Royals for last place in the AL Central, and that’s made it a virtual certainty that ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal will be traded at the deadline by the club. They have a long way to go just to get back into wild card contention, but getting numerous assets for Skubal and building a core that can compete for several seasons seems like the move to make.
With Dillon Dingler (19 HR) on a home run binge with eight round-trippers this month and Kevin McGonigle (team-leading 4.3 WAR, .818 OPS) looking like a franchise player in his rookie season, plenty of hope for the Tigers moving forward. They’ve just underachieved greatly this season following back-to-back playoff appearances and wild card series wins in 2024 and 2025.
New York Yankees
The Yankees WERE in a funk. Now they’re in an early-summer malaise. The Bronx Bombers are anything but, as they were swept by the Boston Red Sox and scored just nine runs in four games in a truly punchless stretch before this series with Detroit. They’ve done this without Aaron Judge, who remains out. Their offence has remained the problem as Ben Rice is 2-27, Cody Bellinger is 2-24, and Jasson Dominguez is 4-24 with 10 strikeouts over the past seven games.
Their pitching has been some of the best in baseball all season long, but pitching won’t put runs across. They’ve been excellent at holding opponents at bay this season, but they can only do so much. Cam Schlittler takes the bump tonight for the Yankees, and he’s the AL Cy Young favourite for a reason. His American League-leading 1.62 ERA and 8-4 record understate how dominant Schlittler has been, despite having his worst month of the season with a 1.93 ERA in June.
MLB Prediction: Who Will Win Tigers vs. Yankees?
The Yankees send out Cam Schlittler, who has been the Yankees’ best hurler this season and represents New York’s best chance to right the ship. On the Detroit side, it’s ace Tarik Skubal. It’s clear Skubal is still trying to round into form, with a 4.96 ERA in three starts following elbow surgery. He’s 0-2, but he’s struck out eight and nine batters in his last two starts, so the stuff is there.
With two aces taking the mound and hitting woes on display for both teams, we’re going to take the Under on the run total rather than picking an outright winner.
Best Bet: Under 7.0 runs (+103)
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