Johan Oviedo will get the start for the Pirates (47-58, 25-27 home) as they host the Tigers (47-59, 25-29 away) at PNC Park. The Tigers will give the starting nod to Matt Manning. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

DETROIT TIGERS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Detroit Tigers -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at PNC Park at 7:05 ET on Tuesday, August 1st.

WHY BET THE DETROIT TIGERS:

  • In their last three games, the Tigers have gone 2-1 vs. the runline.
  • Over their last five games on the road, Detroit is 3-2 against the runline.
  • The Tigers have gone 1-3 in Johan Oviedo’s last four starts.

DETROIT TIGERS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN AL CENTRAL

106 games into the season, the Tigers have a record of 47-59, putting them 3rd in the AL Central. This mark includes an overall series 15-17-3. At home, they are 22-30 compared to 25-29 on the road.

Starter Matt Manning has made eight appearances so far this season for the Tigers, boasting a record of 3-2. His ERA stands at 4.32, with a K/9 of 6.48 and a FIP of 5.25. Opponents have had difficulty getting on base against him, as his OBP is .283.

Matt Manning was dealt the loss in his last outing against the Angels, as he allowed seven runs on seven hits in the 11-4 defeat. The Tigers were unable to contain Los Angeles’ offense, as Manning was unable to keep them off the board.

Over their last ten games, the Tigers are ranked 12th in the league in scoring at 4.1 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 3.9 per contest puts them 24th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Detroit is 17th, with an OBP currently sitting at .300. The team’s collective batting average is .232 (22nd).

Riley Greene has been the Tigers’ most prolific home run hitter over their last ten games, with a total of one. His season-long tally stands at eight, and he also boasts an impressive batting average of .307.

WILL THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are 4th in the NL Central on an overall record of 47-58. So far, they have played in 33 series, and are below .500 at 11-20-2. This season, the Pirates are 25-27 at home and 22-31 on the road.

Johan Oviedo has made 21 appearances this season, with an overall record of 4-11 and an ERA of 4.60. He has 106 strikeouts and is averaging 8.13 K/9 innings. At home, he is 2-5 with a 4.79 ERA, while on the road he is 2-6 with a 6.41 ERA. His slugging percentage allowed stands at .400 and his WHIP is 1.35.

Johan Oviedo earned a quality start and the victory in his most recent outing, as the Pirates defeated the Padres 3-2. The right-hander allowed one run and three hits over six innings of work.

So far this season, the Pirates’ has gone deep 100 times, placing them 20th in the league. Over Pittsburgh’s previous five games, they are 11th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.1 runs per game putting them 23rd in the league. The Pirates’ overall team batting average stands at .236 along with an OBP of .313.

Over the Pirates’ last five contests, Bryan Reynolds has been the team’s top hitter, with a .317 average. During the 2023 season, Reynolds is batting .258 and has knocked in 49 runs.