Athletics vs Tigers Odds
| Athletics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+185 | 8.5 -105 / -115 | +1.5 -105 |
| Tigers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| -225 | 8.5 -105 / -115 | -1.5 -115 |
The second installment of this three-game series gets underway Wednesday with the AL Central's Detroit Tigers hosting the AL West's Oakland Athletics.
Oakland won the first matchup of this series with a 1-0 extra-innings victory. Will the Athletics take care of business once again, or can Detroit defend its home diamond?
Here's a look at the odds, as well as my Athletics vs. Tigers betting pick and prediction.
Oakland Athletics
Left-hander Ken Waldichuk takes the mound for the Oakland Athletics and should be a good fade candidate. Perhaps one of the worst starting pitchers in the entire league, Waldichuk is 1-5 with a 6.78 ERA and 1.91 WHIP through 19 games this season.
Not only are those surface-level stats terrible, but his underlying metrics are poor as well. Currently, the left-hander ranks in the 36th percentile or lower in HardHit%, xERA/xwOBA, xBA and xSLG.
Specifically, we are going to fade Waldichuk in the strikeout department. Entering this matchup, he ranks in the 38th percentile or lower in K%, Whiff% and Chase Rate.
Boasting a four-pitch arsenal, Waldichuk is fastball-heavy pitcher, which is problematic considering that pitch possesses a mere 16.8 Whiff% and 11.3 PutAway%. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he's recorded four or fewer strikeouts in eight of his past nine outings.
Granted, some of those appearances were as an "opener," but even when he goes five or so innings, his strikeout numbers are poor.
Detroit Tigers
While the Detroit Tigers are just 37-47 this year, they are only 5.5 games out of first place due to the weak AL Central division. The hitting has certainly not been great this season, but this lineup is good at avoiding the punchout.
Currently, Detroit ranks 12th in the league in K% when facing left-handed pitching. Looking at Wednesday's projected lineup, five of the nine hitters possess a K% south of 23% this season.
Quite frankly, this lineup is terrible, but it does a surprisingly solid job of avoiding the strikeout. Opposing starting pitchers have recorded four or fewer strikeouts in each of the past three games against the Tigers.
Athletics vs Tigers Betting Pick
The avoidance of the strikeout is likely to continue against Waldichuk. While not a single member of this Detroit lineup has previously faced the left-hander, there is little reason to worry about his abilities.
The Tigers do a good job at avoiding the punchout, while Waldicuk is quite simply one of the worst pitchers in baseball. Furthermore, he will likely be on a short leash, which should bode well for fading his strikeout prop.
