Padres-Tigers prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

July 21, 2023
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The San Diego Padres are in The Motor City to take on the Detroit Tigers for a 3-game set. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Padres-Tigers prediction and pick.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for the Padres. Just a small measurement of hope left, but the season is not quite over just yet. The Friars are coming off a series win against the hottest team in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays. Ahead of that series, Toronto was on a major win streak and had the top record in baseball since the start of July. San Diego took Games 1 and 2 but lost 4-0 in Game 3 as the bats were silenced by Chris Bassitt. The Padres are 6.5 games back of a Wild Card Spot with a (46-51) record.

The Tigers are (44-52) on the season and their hopes of making a playoff run are very slim. However, despite having the 4th worst record in the American League, they are just five games back of the division lead. That's right, the Minnesota Twins are only (50-48) on the season which still gives the Tigers a slim shot at making the playoffs. Could you imagine the Tampa Bay Rays playing a road series against the Tigers in the Wild Card Round? As of right now, the Baltimore Orioles lead the AL East, but the Rays started the season going 14-0 and the thought of them playing on the road in the Wild Card would be crazy, and doing so in Detroit would be mind-boggling.

Here are the Padres-Tigers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

MLB Odds: Padres-Tigers Odds

San Diego Padres: -1.5 (+118)

Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-142)

Over: 9 (-104)

Under: 9 (-118)

How To Watch Padres vs. Tigers

TV: N/A

Stream: Apple TV+

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Time: 6:40 ET/3:40 PT

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Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread

Seth Lugo is on the bump for the Padres. As the No. 5 starter, Lugo has done a great job and exceeded expectations for the Friars. He entered the offseason after his tenure with the New York Mets wanting to start. The Padres gave him the opportunity and he's making the most of it. On the season, he is (3-4) with a 3.78 ERA in 69 innings pitched. He's missed some time due to an injury but is giving the Padres at least 5.0 innings in all of his starts. He started the game well against the Philadelphia Phillies last time out but ended up allowing five runs in the series loss.

The bats need to show up in Detroit. After scoring nine runs in Game 1 against the Jays, they came out and scored two in the final two games while being shut out in Game 3. Outside of Manny Machado, the offense is stalling. They can never seem to put it all together at once. One or two guys are hot and then everyone else is struggling. It's been almost 100 games and there have only been a few times where the stars Juan Soto, Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. all hit at the same time. Facing a young starter on the other side tonight, the offense has an opportunity to do damage. Plus, the Friars seem to score all their runs in Game 1's of a series.

Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread

Reese Olson is on the bump for the Tigers. The former top prospect has seen a lot of success at just 23 years of age. He is (1-3) with a 3.96 ERA in 38.2 innings on the campaign. His strikeout numbers are up also with 40 already on the season but he does have a 4.57 ERA at home. In his last start against the Seattle Mariners, he allowed two runs off of six hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out five and that was the most runs he's allowed in his previous five outings. If Olson can give the Tigers a quality start, then they will be in a position to cover this spread at home.

Spencer Torkleson is starting to come alive. He's only batting .231 on the season but has seven hits in his last seven games and is batting .271 in his last 15 games. He leads the team with 14 homers and 52 RBIs while smacking 21 doubles on the season. The team does not have a lot of offense as they are second to last in baseball in team average at .230, tied with the New York Yankees. It's going to take a lot for them to hit in this series facing one of the top rotations in all of baseball, especially if Michael Wacha returns tomorrow.

Final Padres-Tigers Prediction & Pick

The Padres are desperate for their bats to come alive and I think they will do damage against the young Olson tonight.

Final Padres-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Padres -1.5 (+118)

Source: ClutchPoints