The Los Angeles Angels embark on a six-game road trip this week with the first stop being at Comerica Park for a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers starting this Tuesday night. Game 1 is slated to get underway at 7:08 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

The Angels were swept by Pittsburgh at home this weekend with three loses by a combined score of 21-12. They are now 33-43 on the year and a full 11 games in back of Texas for the lead in the AL West. They are 13-20 on the road this season and the total has stayed “under” in four of their last six games.

Detroit took three of four from Boston at home over the past four days to improve to 42-32 on the year. It now leads Cleveland in the AL Central by four games. The Tigers are an AL-best 26-13 at home this season, and the total has gone “over” in four of their last five games.

Angels at Tigers Betting Storylines

Coming in as the favorite to not only win the division, but the American League Pennant as well, calling the start to this season a major disappointment would be a gross understatement for Los Angeles. It is ranked 13th in the league in pitching with a team ERA of 4.36, and its powerful lineup is averaging 4.53 runs per game, which is ranked eighth. The Angels have gotten decent production from all-stars such as Mark Trumbo (50 RBI and 17 home runs), Albert Pujols (47 RBI and 13 home runs) and Mike Trout (46 RBI and 12 home runs), but this has obviously failed to translate to wins.

Los Angeles will go with CJ Wilson as its starter for the series opener. The left-hander is 6-5 on the year with a 3.61 ERA. He is coming off his best start of the season after holding Seattle to just two hits in seven full innings of work. He has not given up more than three earned runs in nine of his last 10 starts. Lifetime against Detroit he is 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA.

The Tigers have vaulted to the top of the AL Central standings behind a solid balance of both pitching and hitting. Their staff ERA of 3.70 is tied with Texas for second-best in the AL, and they are ranked first in the league in hitting with a .283 team batting average. The big guns for Detroit so far this season have been Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Cabrera has been a one-man wrecking crew with 75 RBI and 20 home runs, while Fielder has pulled his weight with 58 RBI and 12 home runs. Overall, the team is averaging 5.04 runs a game.

Look for Rick Porcello to be on the mound for Detroit in this one as the starter. He is 4-4 overall with a 4.74 ERA. The right-hander will be looking to avenge an early season loss to LA in which he was tagged for nine earned runs on nine hits in the first inning. Overall, Porcello is 3-3 against the Angles with an ERA of 7.68.

Angels at Tigers Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline has opened Los Angeles as a +118 road underdog on its money line for this contest with the Tigers listed as -128 home favorites. The total has been set at 9.

The Angels are 20-8 in their last 28 games against the AL Central but just 5-11 in their last 16 games against a right-handed starter. The total has gone over in the first game of 10 of their last 14 series.

The Tigers are 24-8 in Game 1 of their last 32 series and 27-11 in Porcello’s last 38 starts against a team with a losing record. The total has gone over in four of their last five home games.

Head-to-head in this series, Los Angeles is a perfect 6-0 in the last six meetings, including a three-game sweep earlier this year. The total has stayed “under” in seven of the last 11 games between the two.

Angels at Tigers Picks and Betting Predictions

The Angels may bring a six-game winning streak over Detroit into this series, but current form does not dictate a win on Tuesday night. Look for a much better effort from Porcello on the mound to complement more than enough runs to gain the early edge in this series with a win.

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