Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays odds, picks and predictions

The Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays meet Thursday for Opening Day. First pitch at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET. Let's analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Tigers vs. Raysodds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: First meeting of 2023. Rays won the season series 5-2 in 2022.

The Tigers were just so-so in Grapefruit League play during the spring, going 14-16. Spring might have been the most exciting time for Tigers fans, as the books strongly feeling Detroit won't qualify for the postseason, with odds at +1100 to get into the playoffs.

Young Tigers 1B Spencer Torkelson is expected to be in the middle of the team's order, behind SS Javier Baez and OF Austin Meadows in the order, but before, and after, that, Detroit fans likely can excuse themselves for a hot dog and beer and not miss much action.

The Rays won 86 games last season, but were eliminated in the wild-card round by the Cleveland Guardians. Tampa Bay has a much brighter outlook, as far as the books are concerned, with -190 odds to make the playoffs, and +1000 odds to win the American League and go to the World Series.

Tampa Bay looks to get off to a hot start against Detroit, a team it went 5-2 against last season, including 2-1 in a 3-game set at Tropicana Field May 16-18.