Matt Manning will get the start for the Tigers (58-69, 27-35 home) as they host the Astros (72-57, 37-26 away) at Comerica Park. The Astros will give the starting nod to Framber Valdez. Check out my prediction for game one of this American League matchup between the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS DETROIT TIGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Comerica Park at 6:40 ET on Friday, August 25th.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ASTROS:

  • The Astros have put together a 2-1 record vs. the runline in their last three games as the favorite.
  • As the road underdog, the Astros’ runline win streak stands at five games.
  • For the season, the Astros have gone 13-11 with Framber Valdez on the mound as the starter.

HOUSTON ASTROS STRUGGLING VS RUNLINE OF LATE

For the season, the Astros are 72-57 and 64-65 against the runline. In the AL West, they are in 3rd place and have gone 26-17 against division opponents. On the road, Houston have won two straight series. The Astros’ season-long over/under record sits at 66-60.

Starter Framber Valdez has had an up-and-down season for the Astros, currently boasting a 9-9 record across 24 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.55, with a K/9 of 8.9 and FIP of 3.51, while his opponents’ OBP is .282.

Framber Valdez was handed the loss in his last start against Seattle, surrendering six runs on 10 hits as Houston fell 10-3.

For the season, the Astros are 8th in batting average, hitting a combined .254. Over their last five games, they have hit .307 which is 4th in that span. Houston’s average of 4.9 runs per game puts them 7th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 167 times and have a team slugging percentage of .422.

Alex Bregman has been a force for the Astros over their last five games, leading the team in hits and batting .480. On the season, Bregman is hitting .258 and has tallied 83 RBIs.

WILL THE DETROIT TIGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On a record of 58-69, the Tigers are 3rd in the AL Central. At home, they have put together a win percent of 43.5% compared to 47.7% on the road. This season, Detroit has gone 29-46 against teams who are above .500, and hold an overall series record of 17-20-5.

Matt Manning is on the mound for Detroit, boasting a 5-4 record. He has made 12 appearances this season, with an ERA of 4.31 and a K/9 of 5.85. His FIP stands at 5.25 and his OBP is .289.

Matt Manning earned a quality start and a victory in his most recent outing, as the Tigers defeated the Guardians 4-3. Across six frames, Manning allowed two runs and five hits.

During their last five games, Detroit is the 13th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .238 and are averaging 5.2 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Tigers are hitting .235 with an OBP of .301 while averaging 4 runs per contest. This figure puts them 27th in the league.

Kerry Carpenter has been a consistent force for the Detroit Tigers this season, boasting a .288 batting average and .547 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten contests, he has been particularly impressive, leading the squad in hits with a .326 average.