The Detroit Tigers will look for a series win against the Tampa Bay Rays when the two clubs meet this afternoon for the third game of their three-game series.

Despite the shaky early pitching, my Rays vs. Tigers prediction is for a low-scoring game at Comerica Park this afternoon.

Read on for my MLB picks for Thursday, September 26th.

Rays vs Tigers Prediction

My best choice
Under 7.5 (-105 at BetMGM)

My analysis

With the Tampa Bay Rays hoping to avoid a series sweep, left-hander Tyler Alexander gets the nod. He had a good outing in Toronto, dishing out two hits and six punchouts over 4 1/3 scoreless frames.

Alexander could get a break today as the Detroit Tigers aren’t hitting left-handed hitters. Their .288 BABIP and 88 wRC+ suggest the Pussycats probably won’t struggle to get many hits or runs against Alexander.

The Rays’ left-hander doesn’t have a long leash, and he’ll leave it to a bullpen that ranks third in xFIP and is responsible for the second-most grabs (43) since the All-Star break.

In comparison, Tigers right guard Reese Olson can be hit or missed. He has given up nine earned runs in his last 19 frames. He has 17 Ks, but the walks are creeping up (seven), as are the HRs (three), which could be problematic early on.

Olson also has a short leash and the Tigers bullpen hasn’t been very good since the break. They have racked up the most strikeouts (275) since the All-Star Game, but have given up the fourth-most bombs (37) with an xFIP of 3.91.

However, Olson and the rest of the Tigers team could be catching a break, as the sputtering Rays offense has scored just two runs in this series and 10 runs in the last five. They have scored 20 runs in their last 10 road games and are averaging less than four runs per road game.

The Rays can’t beat on the road, the Tigers aren’t much better at home and struggle against lefties, so this game ends under the total score.

Rays vs. Tigers – Same Game Parlay (SGP)

Below 7.5

Tyler Alexander Over 3.5 strikeouts

Reese Olson Over 4.5 strikeouts

Alexander is hitting 7.36 per nine innings. He has 16 points in his last 21 2/3 and faces a Detroit offense with a 24.5% strikeout rate for lefties. The Tigers also failed 19 times on 64 attempts in the series.

In comparison, Olson averages 8.14 strikeouts per nine with 17 strikeouts in his previous 19 stanzas. The Rays have a 24.8% strikeout rate against righties, with 17 Ks in the first two games of this series.

Learn how to place a bet in the same game with these helpful tips and strategies.

Rays vs Tigers odds

Rays vs Tigers live odds

Rays vs. Tigers opening odds

• Money line: Tampa Bay +140 | Detroit -165
• running line: Tampa Bay +1.5 (-160) | Detroit -1.5 (+135)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-110) | Below 7.5 (-110)

Rays vs. Tigers Moneyline and Over/Under Analysis

• The Rays are 1-4 against Detroit this season and 36-41 as a road team.
• The Tigers are 8-2 in their last 10 games at Comerica Park, trading at -152 after opening at -144 (FanDuel).
• Over/Under markets opened at 8.0 (-110), but the number fell to 7.5 runs.
• Markets above 7.5 report odds of -105 to -115, while markets below 7.5 (-105) are also available.

Rays vs Tigers trend

The Tigers have reached the Game Total Under in 15 of their last 19 home games (+11.80 units / 56% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Braves.

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