MLB Over/Under Best Bet: Fulmer, Andriese to kick off series from The Trop

The Tigers and Rays kick off a three-game set from The Trop tonight, and considering Michael Fulmer’s dominance versus Tampa Bay last year, the under looks like a nice play.

Another nice win yesterday, with Salazar vs Gibson Under 8.5 winning by a comfortable margin and playing out exactly how we felt it would, with the dominant Indians right-hander leading the way. That gets us back to the .500 mark (though I should certainly be around 60 percent right now, if not for that series of awful bad beats the past two weeks), and of course, we want much more than that. Let’s see if we can keep it rolling in this third week of the campaign.

Zylbert’s 2017 MLB Over/Under Betting Record: 8-8-2, -80

Yesterday’s Result: Salazar vs Gibson Under 8.5 (WIN)

Detroit Tigers @ Tampa Bay Rays

Michael Fulmer vs Matt Andriese

UNDER 8 (-115) (via OddsShark)

Well, sometimes waiting for a line movement pays off, which is why this write-up is being posted so close to first pitch, as I get the desired increase in the total from the lines-makers. Tonight’s series opener from Tropicana Field between the Tigers and Rays was at 7.5 all day, but shortly before game time, it went up to 8, which now saves us in the event of the always-popular 5-3 outcome, a nice luxury to have for a matchup between these two hurlers.

The reigning American League Rookie of the Year winner, Michael Fulmer, has picked up right where he left off a year ago, registering two quality starts in just as many tries, while honing a 2.25 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a miniscule .190 batting average against.

That’s good news for us, considering he’s about to face the team he arguably put forth his best work against last season, the Rays, whom he surrendered just one run to across 14 total innings, while recording 21 punch-outs compared to only two walks.

In fact, both of Fulmer’s only double-digit strikeout performances in his young career came in both of his assignments opposing Tampa Bay. That has to bode well for his outlook this evening in his third start of 2017.

His counterpart in this one, Matt Andriese, doesn’t have quite the same track record, but he’s still someone that can provide enough solid pitching to keep this game under the listed total.

Coming into the campaign, the 27-year-old right-hander was actually one of my top three starting pitcher sleepers (behind Sean Manaea and Jameson Taillon), and he’ll be following up a dandy of an outing, in which he held the Yankees to just one run over six solid innings at Yankee Stadium last Thursday.

“After the last start I had, I’m feeling a little more comfortable,” Andriese told MLB.com. “The first one you’re getting the jitters out, you want to have success but you’re thinking a little too much. I think [Tuesday] will be a good start where I can build off of my last start and go into the [rest of the] season feeling good.”

I’ll take Andriese to his word and bank on him continuing his momentum from his last outing. If he can give us some decent work, to coincide with Fulmer’s usual mastery of the Rays, this under can be in fine shape.

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