ODDS ANALYSIS
The Pirates snapped their three-game road losing streak and won for the third time in four games with Tuesday’s 5-4, 14-inning marathon victory, evening the season series with the Tigers at 2-2. Pittsburgh also leveled its season road record at 19-19 while moving 10 games over .500 in the black 3.16 units on the moneyline.
The Pirates cashed the under in each of Francisco Liriano’s last two starts and in three of his last four while the team’s played below the scoreline in his home start against Detroit back in April.
All you MLB bettors should start paying attention to the Tigers. Detroit cashed the over in their 11th straight game with Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. The Tigers averaged 5.4 runs per game over that span while allowing opposing teams to score an average of 6.3 runs. The streak is a bit of an aberration as the over/under is 19-19-2 at Comerica Park while the over is 40-34-2 in Detroit’s 76 games overall.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Francisco Liriano (4-6, 3.21 ERA) went seven strong innings in Friday’s no-decision against Atlanta, allowing just two runs on six hits. Dealing with a losing record despite his 1.01 WHIP and .189 opponents’ batting average, Liriano could find some relief under ideal conditions: ERAs of 2.30 on the road and 2.25 in daylight.
Liriano has appeared in (26) and started (19) more games against Detroit than any team in MLB. He hasn’t been all that successful with a 5-10 record and 5.59 ERA over 112.2 innings. And that includes his start earlier this season when he allowed a run over six innings in a 1-0 loss.
Kyle Ryan (1-1, 4.56 ERA) was supposed to pitch Saturday until a rainout and Justin Verlander’s return forced the Tigers to push back his start. The lefty has started three games this year, going 0-1 with a 5.29 ERA, but his last outing was a 12-pitch relief effort on June 24.
Ryan will make his fifth career start in his first appearance against the Pirates.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“Again we battled back, kind of similar to the way we did with (White Sox Jeff) Samardzija the other day. But we were unable to put that final fun on the board. The bullpen did a really nice job. But we just couldn’t push that final run across.” – Tigers’ manager Brad Ausmus after Tuesday’s 14-inning loss to Pittsburgh.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
A year ago Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco was the next big thing. When he got called up to the big leagues last June, his arrival was viewed as a coronation. On a team in desperate need of power, the kid appeared to be just what the Pirates needed. He hit .288 during his first month in the majors and the game looked so easy to him. But that same player is in the midst of an 8 for 62 slump that has him batting .233 after Tuesday’s game. Polanco’s confidence remains intact, as does that of manager Clint Hurdle, and there are no immediate plans to make any changes, though the Pirates do have other options.
PROP TALK
With all the firepower the Tigers have in their lineup, J.D. Martinez isn’t the player that stands out among them. He’s doing his best to change that. Tuesday’s game wound up being extended thanks to his two-run, eighth inning homer, part of his 3 for 6 night to cap an outstanding final three weeks of June. The blast was his 11th in 18 games, a stretch in which his OPS is an AL-best 1.204, and his team-high 20th of the year. Two of Martinez’s six hits against the Pirates this season have left the yard and he hits .400 with a homer in his career against Francisco Liriano, who has surrendered a long ball in each of his last two outings.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Tossing Kyle Ryan out on the bump isn’t going to scare the Pirates. So the Tigers will have to outslug Pittsburgh to get a victory in this one. Detroit’s had success against Francisco Liriano, who owns a 5.59 ERA while dishing up 15 home runs to the Tigers over his career. Both teams are swinging the bat well and this could be another high-scoring contest, but Liriano silenced the Tigers back in April and, as the saying goes, good hitting stops good pitching. Liriano is good and the Bucs get the win.
Pittsburgh 6, Detroit 3
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers is scheduled for Thursday, July 2, 2015, at 1:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
