Tigers vs. Rays Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, May 17 (Detroit Continues to be a Hard Team to Bet On)

The Detroit Tigers are on the road again today in Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of their three-game set. The Tigers enjoyed their first sweep of the season over the weekend and are hoping to keep that momentum going through this series.

However, I see two problems with this. One, the Tigers are an awful team. And, two, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates, generally considered an even worse team than Detroit. Even the Cincinnati Reds were beating up on Detroit last week.

So yes, the Tigers entered this series on a three-game winning streak. But it came against a team with a salary cap that belongs in the Nippon League and not the MLB. 

Meanwhile, the Rays enter this series as the second-best team in the AL East with a record well-above .500. However, they took some lumps last week and entered this series 3-4 SU in their last seven games. A series against the Tigers might be just what they need to get back on track. 

Here are the odds for this game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. 

Tigers vs. Rays Odds, Run Line, and Total

Run Line

• Tigers: +1.5 (-115)
• Rays: -1.5 (-105)

Moneyline:

• Tigers: +225
• Rays: -265

Total:

• Total 6.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Tigers vs. Rays Prediction and Pick

Shane McClanahan gets the start today for Tampa Bay and has been quite impressive in his seven starts this year. He enters this showdown with a 2.52 ERA and a phenomenal 0.92 WHIP in 39 ⅓ innings. In McClanahan's last start he blanked the Angels over seven innings while striking out 11. I think it’s safe to say he’s locked in.

Moving forward, I think that game was very important as it was his first game against a truly dangerous offense. And McClanahan saved his best performance to date for that game. 

Beau Brieske will try to outduel McClanahan on Tuesday in what will be his fifth start of the year. Brieske is still looking for his first win of the year. His 0-2 record is more a byproduct of how bad the Tigers are because Brieske has looked sharp. In his first 21 innings, Brieske has a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. His biggest issue continues to be his walk rate as has issued 10 free passes while striking out 11. 

This is an easy call for me as the Rays have a clear advantage in every area of this game. With the solid value on the runline, my money is going to the home team. 

Pick: Rays -1.5 (-105)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE