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Tigers vs. Twins Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, August 2 (Fade Chris Archer Amidst Recent Struggles)

By Peter Dewey

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Archer.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Archer. / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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The Detroit Tigers have dropped into last place in the AL Central, losing three straight and seven of their last 10 games, heading into Tuesday’s matchup with the division-leading Minnesota Twins. 

The Tigers’ offense has been horrific all season long, ranking dead last in runs scored, home runs and OPS. That’s made things tough on their pitching staff, that comes into this matchup 20th in team ERA and 17th in team WHIP. 

Matt Manning (0-0, 2.25 ERA) is making his third start of the season for Detroit, and he will take on veteran Chris Archer (2-5, 4.04 ERA). Archer was lit up by the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start, but he has been pretty consistent for the Twins in limited innings this season.

Here are the odds from WynnBET for this AL Central showdown: 

Tigers vs. Twins Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

  • Tigers +1.5 (-120)
  • Twins -1.5 (+100)

Moneyline:

  • Tigers: +170
  • Twins: -185

Total: 

  • 9 (Over -115/Under -105)

Tigers vs. Twins Prediction and Pick

Normally, I love backing a first five innings bet with Archer on the mound, as he allowed just five earned runs in six starts in June and never allowed more than two runs in a single outing. 

However, the month of July was brutal for the two-time All-Star, as he’s given up 10 runs on eight hits and walked seven batters across 7.2 innings (two starts). 

Those numbers are enough for me to stay away from trusting him, but Manning doesn’t give me a ton of confidence either. The young starter lasted just two innings in his last outing, getting tagged for five hits but holding the Kansas City Royals to only one run. 

He’s going to need to be better than that against a much more lethal lineup in Minnesota. However, the Tigers bullpen gives me a reason to think they can pull off the upset against the struggling Archer. 

Detroit is No. 3 in bullpen ERA this season, while the Twins come in at No. 13. Minnesota doesn’t have a bad pen, but with the way Archer has been going, Minnesota may need five-plus innings out of the bullpen on Tuesday. 

Until Archer starts to turn things around, he’s a risky pitcher to trust in any scenario. Give me the Tigers as road dogs. 

Lean: Tigers ML (+170)

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.

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