MLB odds: Padres-Tigers prediction, odds, and pick

Detroit has lost three straight games since the All-Star break. San Diego won its first two games of the second half before losing to the New York Mets on Sunday. The Tigers are fifth in the American League Central at 38-58, while the Padres are second in both the National League West and NL Wild Card race at 54-43. This will be the only series between the teams this season.

The Padres have a 30-16 record against teams below .500 this season. The Tigers are in that category by a whopping 20 games. San Diego has a slight edge in starting pitching, with Sean Manaea having a 5-4 record and 4.11 ERA. Detroit has Drew Hutchison, who has 1- 4 record with a 4-46 ERA on the year.

Hutchison has had a good start to July. He has made five starts this year, the most since 2015. His 4.38 ERA as a starter in 2022 would be a new career-best mark. The Padres have been a middle-of-the-road team offensively. They rank in the bottom 10 in baseball against right-handed pitchers.

Both teams have received quality contributions from their relievers this season. The Detroit bullpen's 3.18 ERA ranks fifth in MLB. Tigers have problems at the plate, ranking last or second-to-last in the league in runs scored, OPS, slugging percentage, home runs and on-base percentage. Left-handed pitching has provided some hope for Detroit, with its .269 batting average against lefties being the third-best in baseball.

The Padres have scored 61 runs this month, 17 less than the Tigers. San Diego has scored more than five runs only twice since July 8. Detroit is the lowest-scoring team in baseball this year.