Tigers prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers begin their three games series today. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cubs-Tigers prediction, pick, and how to watch.

The Cubs enter the series after taking two of three from the Kansas City Royals. After getting red hot after the All-Star break, the Cubs have cooled off some. They are 6-4 in their last ten games and are now a full three games back of the Brewers in the division. Still, they currently sit with a Wild Card spot and will be looking to make their run to the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the youth-led Tigers took three of four from the guardians over the weekend. They have also won six of their last ten games, and while it is a long shot for them to make the playoffs, they are not done yet. The Tigers are 7.5 games behind the Twins in the AL Central.

Here are the Cubs-Tigers MLB odds,

MLB Odds: Cubs-Tigers Odds

Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+118)

Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-142)

Over: 8.5 (-128)

Under: 8.5 (+104)

How To Watch Cubs vs. Tigers

TV: MARQ/BSDET

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT

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Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread

The Cub's offense continues to roll. It was 13 runs over the weekend, resulting in two wins. The Cubs have been scoring a lot all year long. They are fifth in the majors in runs scored, while sitting tenth in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage, and 11th in slugging. Cody Bellinger has been a huge part of that. He leads the team in batting average and RBIs this year. His .324 average on the year is ranked fifth in the majors currently. Further, this month he has continued to improve on that. He is hitting .371 this month while getting on base at a .406 rate. Bellinger has five home runs and four doubles this month leading to 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Bellinger is not the only hot bat in the lineup. Nico Hoerner, the team leader in WAR, is coming in hot too. He is hitting .333 on the month with a .425 on-base percentage. He is not driving in a ton of runs, just three this month with the help of two home runs. Still, he has stolen seven bases this month, and that has helped him score 14 times so far in August. Driving in runs as of late is Ian Happ. Happ has a home run and a triple with four RBIs in the last five games. He is getting on base at a .300 rate and has also stolen a base. Meanwhile, he has scored twice in the last five games.

While many guys are hitting well, the Cubs would love to see Dansby Swanson turn some things around. August has been a struggle for him hitting-wise. He is hitting just .167 this month. Still, he has five home runs on the month and has driven in 15 runs while scoring nine times.

The Cubs are sending Javier Assad to the mound to start this game. While he has only made four starts this year, with one being on April 20th and the other three this month. In his three starts this month, he has pitched 16.2 innings giving up six runs with five earned. That gives him a 2.70 ERA. The Cubs have won each time he has taken the mound for a start this month, as he has one win for himself.

Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread

The Tigers got some great pitching over the weekend. They gave up just ten runs in four games, and just six runs in their three wins. On the year, they are 18th in team ERA, 11th in WHIP, and 18th in opponent batting average. Today, they send Alex Faedo to the mound. He is 2-4 on the year with a 5.16 ERA. While the season stats are not great, he has been solid in his last three starts. Faedo has gone 15.2 innings and given up just three runs. That is good for a 1.72 ERA in his last three starts. Furthermore, he has two starts in which he gave up just one hit in his last three.

Meanwhile, the offense for the Tigers is not stellar. They are 29th this year in runs scored, while also sitting 26th in batting average, 29th in on-base percentage, and 27th in slugging. While the numbers are not great, there are some hot hittings in this lineup. Kerry Carpenter is producing a lot of runs as of late. While he is hitting just .273 in the last week, he is getting on base at a .333 clip. He has hit three home runs and that has led to six RBIs. Further, he has scored five times in the last week.

Joining him in coming in hot is Spencer Torkelson. Torkelson is hitting .333 in the last week with a .440 on-base percentage. He has hit four home runs in the last week while hitting two doubles and driving in five runs. He has also scored six times in the last week. The Tigers could be on the cusp of some solid offense as well. Their expected runs over the last six games sit just under 28 runs, while they have scored just 24. They could use some more walks, walking in just 8.2 percent of their recent plate appearances, and could hit better with runners in scoring position. If they do both of those, they could see their actual runs come closer to their expected, and come away with a win in this one.

Final Cubs-Tigers Prediction & Pick

This game is going to come down to the pitching match-up. Both Alex Faedo and Javier Assad are not the best pitchers in the majors, but both can produce. If they can come out and have a good performance, their team will come away with the win. The Tigers do not score a ton of runs but should be good for three to four runs in this one. That means, if Faedo can keep the Cubs under four, the Tigers should cover. That is what will happen today. Take the Tigers and the runs in this one.

Final Cubs-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Tigers +1.5 (-142)