Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 9/18/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Detroit (+165) Tampa Bay (-217)

Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers (70-77, 3rd in AL Central) go to Tropicana Field on Saturday where they'll meet the Tampa Bay Rays (91-56, 1st in AL East). The odds on this contest have the Tigers coming in at +165 and the Rays are at -217. The total is set at 8. The starting pitchers are Tarik Skubal and Ryan Yarbrough.

Detroit owns a slugging percentage of .403 and have struck out 1,389 times, while taking a walk on 442 occasions. They have earned 618 RBI's in addition to 1,178 hits this season, while their team batting average is sitting at .241. The Tigers have accrued 211 doubles as a team and have smacked 169 baseballs out of the stadium. They have 640 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .306. As a unit, the Detroit Tigers are earning 4.4 runs per contest, which puts them at 19th in the league.

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The Tigers have an ERA of 4.37 this season (19th in the league), and the staff has struck out 1,158 hitters. They have a K/BB ratio of 2.25 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.37. Tigers pitchers have allowed 186 home runs and 696 runs (20th in MLB). They have walked 514 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 4.62 as a squad for the season.

The Tigers have sent 524 relievers to the hill this season. The relievers have inherited 208 base runners on the year and 37.0% of those players ended up scoring. They have compiled 35 saves this season and have blown 20 of 55 save opportunities. The Tigers relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 63.6% and has come into the game in 126 save situations. The bullpen have a total of 67 holds for the season (18th in baseball). Tigers pitchers have stepped onto the hill with players on base 137 times in addition to having 150 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Tigers have turned 69.7% of balls in play into outs in their 11,598 innings, which has them sitting 15th in pro baseball. The Detroit Tigers have 3,866 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,352 assists and 76 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .986 which is 11th in baseball, and have 1,037 double plays.

Skubal has pitched in 171 innings and has earned 197 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 4.47 (85 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.263. He has surrendered 159 hits (8.4 hits per 9 innings) with 57 free passes. Skubal (9-16 career mark) holds a FIP of 5.05 while he has gone up against 726 opposing hitters in the major leagues.

The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated an OBP of .318 in addition to a team batting average of .240 over the course of the season. They have been called out on strikes on 1,416 occasions (2nd in the league) and are sitting with 1,205 base hits. Tampa Bay has compiled 205 long balls so far this season as well as 741 RBIs. The Rays have a team SLG% of .427 and they earn 5.35 runs per contest (2nd in baseball). They have 260 two-baggers, while taking a walk 523 times as well as earning 786 runs.

The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 614 runs on the year while holding a team ERA of 3.79 (556 earned runs yielded). They have conceded 169 dingers and they relinquish 4.18 runs per 9 innings (5th in baseball). The Rays are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.195 in addition to having a FIP of 3.81 as a squad on the season. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.34 (1,353 strikeouts vs 405 bases on balls). They are sitting at 14th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 1,175.

Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 59 save opportunities and they have earned 39 saves. They are currently ranked 7th in MLB with a save percentage of 66.1%, and they have dispatched 476 relievers to the hill on the campaign. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 167 times in high leverage situations and also on 115 occasions with runners on. Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.1% out of their 148 inherited base runners. With 143 save situations, the Rays have 81 holds in addition to 20 blown saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 121 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (8th in MLB). The Rays have recorded 1,242 assists, 74 errors and have notched a total of 3,966 putouts for the year. In their 11,898 innings on the diamond, the Rays have earned a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (10th in baseball).

So far in his pro baseball career, Yarbrough has conceded 467 base knocks while totaling 395 K's in 483 innings pitched. Yarbrough (36-21 win-loss mark in his career) has earned a 4.32 ERA while conceding 8.7 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 232 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.190 and a FIP of 4.0. His K/BB ratio is 3.66 and he has gone up against 2,016 opposing batters during his career.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-217)

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