Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 9/17/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Friday, September 17, 2021

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Detroit (+180) Tampa Bay (-256)

Josh Fleming and the Tampa Bay Rays (90-56, 1st in AL East) play the Detroit Tigers (70-76, 3rd in AL Central) at Tropicana Field on Friday. The line on this contest has the Tigers priced at +180 and the Rays are at -256. The over/under is set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Casey Mize and Josh Fleming.

The Tigers have hit 211 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 167 baseballs out of the stadium. Detroit has a slugging % of .403 and have struck out 1,383 times, while taking a walk on 440 occasions. As a team, the Detroit Tigers are compiling 4.4 runs per outing, which ranks them 19th in baseball. They have compiled 616 RBI's and 1,172 base knocks this year, while their batting average is sitting at .242. They have a total of 638 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .307.

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The Tigers have an earned run average of 4.37 for the year (18th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 1,151 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 508 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 4.60 as a unit on the campaign. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.27 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.36. Tigers pitchers have allowed 184 home runs and 691 runs (19th in the league).

The Tigers relievers have a save percentage of 63.6% and has stepped onto the mound in 126 save situations. The relievers have inherited 207 runners over the course of the season and 36.7% of them ended up scoring. Tigers pitchers have entered the game with runners on base 136 times as well as having 150 appearances in high leverage situations. The Tigers have dispatched 521 relievers to the hill over the course of the season. The relief pitchers have recorded 67 holds on the season (17th in MLB). They have accumulated 35 saves so far this season and have blown 20 of 55 save opportunities.

The Detroit Tigers are sitting with 3,842 putouts over the course of the season, in addition to 1,345 assists and 76 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .986 which has them sitting 12th in professional baseball, and have 1,029 double plays. The Tigers have converted 69.7% of balls in play into outs in their 11,526 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 15th in baseball.

Mize has taken the ball for 168 frames and has earned 134 strikeouts so far in his career. His ERA is 4.22 (79 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.198. He has conceded 149 hits (8.0 hits per 9 innings) and has had 53 free passes. Mize (7-11 career win-loss record) sits with a FIP of 5.12 while facing 704 hitters during his time in the majors.

Tampa Bay has knocked in 203 home runs this season to go along with 736 runs batted in. They have put up 260 two-baggers, while getting a free base 517 times as well as putting up 781 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have recorded an OBP of .318 in addition to a team batting average of .240 so far this year. The Rays have a team slugging percentage of .427 and they tally 5.35 runs per game (1st in the league). They have been called out on strikes on 1,409 occasions (2nd in the league) and have earned a total of 1,198 base hits.

The Rays are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.197 in addition to having a FIP of 3.80 as a unit for the year. They come in at 14th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 1,169. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 612 runs over the course of the season while holding a team ERA of 3.80 (554 earned runs relinquished). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 3.34 (1,347 strikeouts vs 403 walks). They have relinquished 167 homers and they relinquish 4.19 runs per 9 innings (7th in MLB).

Sitting with 142 save situations, the Rays have 80 holds in addition to 20 blown saves. Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 59 save opportunities and they have walked away with 39 saves. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 167 times in high leverage situations and also on 115 occasions with base runners. Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.1% out of their 148 inherited base runners. They are ranked 7th in the league with a save percentage of 66.1%, and they have dispatched 471 relief pitchers onto the field for the season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have twisted 120 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .986 (8th in baseball). The Rays have racked up 1,230 assists, 74 errors and have earned a total of 3,939 putouts for the season. In their 11,817 innings on the diamond, the Rays have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 69.8% (13th in the majors).

Fleming (15-6 mark in his career) holds a 4.47 earned run average while surrendering 9.1 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.38 and he has gone up against 562 opposing batters during his pro baseball career. He has given up a total of 66 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.286 and a FIP of 4.3. In his career, Fleming has allowed 134 hits and he has 88 strikeouts in 133 innings.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-256)

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