Game three of this interleague series sees the Tigers (66-79, 31-43 home) and Reds (76-71, 40-32 away) facing off at Comerica Park. The starting pitcher for the Tigers will be Reese Olson, while the Reds are turning to Derek Law. Find out who I like to win in this Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds showdown.

CINCINNATI REDS VS DETROIT TIGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cincinnati Reds -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Comerica Park at 1:10 ET on Thursday, September 14th.

WHY BET THE CINCINNATI REDS:

  • The Reds will be taking on a Tigers club that is just 2-3 vs. the runline over their last five games.
  • Over their last three games on the road, Cincinnati is 2-1 against the runline.
  • The Tigers’ are just 7-8 in Reese Olson’s 15 starts.

CINCINNATI REDS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN NL CENTRAL

Heading into the game, the Reds are 3rd in the NL Central on an overall record of 76-71. The team’s season-long road record is 40-32, which includes losing each of their past two road series. Against the runline, the Reds are 89-58 and have an over/under mark of 71-76. Their runline record on the road is 46-26 this year.

Derek Law has made 48 appearances this season, with a .366 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.44 WHIP. His record stands at 4-5, and his ERA is 3.83. He has 41 strikeouts on the year, averaging 7.48 per nine innings. When playing away from home, Law’s record is 2-4 with an ERA of 4.88; when playing at home, he is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.12.

Derek Law’s most recent outing was a difficult one, as he allowed no runs in just one inning of play. Unfortunately, the Reds were unable to come away with the win, losing 9-4 to the Cardinals.

Offensively, Cincinnati is ranked 11th in the league with an average of 4.7 runs per game. When looking over their last ten matchups, the Reds averaged 4.8 runs per contest, which is 9th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Cincinnati is 16th in all of baseball, with a total of 169 home runs.

TJ Friedl has been a major offensive contributor for the Reds this season, leading the team with 13 home runs over their last five games. His batting average stands at .273, making him a key asset in Cincinnati’s lineup.

WILL THE DETROIT TIGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering with a record of 66-79, the Tigers are in 3rd place in the AL Central and are losers of two straight games. So far, they have a road win percentage of 49.3% compared to 41.9% at home. Detroit’s overall series record stands at 19-24-5.

The Tigers will look to starter Reese Olson for their next game. He has a 3-7 record in 18 appearances this season, with an ERA of 4.50 and a K/9 of 8.79. His FIP is 4.02 and opponents are batting .277 against him.

Reese Olson’s performance in the Tigers’ 6-0 loss to the White Sox was a bright spot, as he recorded a quality start. The right-hander went 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs.

So far this season, the Tigers’ has gone deep 145 times, placing them 22nd in the league. Over Detroit’s previous five games, they are 16th in runs scored, with their season average of 3.9 runs per game putting them 27th in the league. The Tigers’ overall team batting average stands at .235 along with an OBP of .302.

The Tigers’ offensive leader, Spencer Torkelson, has been a consistent presence in the lineup this season. He currently leads the team in hits with a .236 batting average. His slugging percentage is .453 and on-base percentage is .320.