Oakland Athletics vs Detroit Tigers Overview

• Date: April 6, 2024
• Venue: Comerica Park
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Paul Blackburn - Athletics
  • Kenta Maeda - Tigers
• Run Line: Athletics 1.5 -150, Tigers -1.5 130
• Money Line: Athletics 140, Tigers -165
• Total (Over/Under):8 -105

Oakland Athletics vs Detroit Tigers Win Probabilities

Implied Win %:

• Oakland Athletics - 40%
• Detroit Tigers - 60%

Projected Win %:

• Oakland Athletics - 40.87%
• Detroit Tigers - 59.13%

Oakland Athletics vs Detroit Tigers Game Preview & Prediction

In a matchup between the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland Athletics, the Tigers will host the Athletics at Comerica Park on April 6, 2024. The Tigers, with a record of 6-1, have been having a great season so far. On the other hand, the Athletics have struggled with a record of 1-7, making this season a tough one for them.

The Tigers are projected to start right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda, while the Athletics are expected to start Paul Blackburn, also a right-handed pitcher. Maeda has started one game this year and has yet to register a win or loss. However, his ERA of 16.20 is quite high. Nevertheless, his xFIP of 10.47 suggests that he may have been unlucky and could perform better going forward. Blackburn, on the other hand, has been strong in his one start, with an ERA of 0.00. However, his xFIP of 4.61 indicates that he may have been fortunate and could regress in future outings.

The Tigers offense ranks as the 18th best in MLB this season, indicating an average performance. However, they have struggled with team batting average, ranking 27th in the league. Additionally, their home run and stolen bases rankings are also among the lowest. The Athletics offense, meanwhile, ranks as the 22nd best in MLB, indicating a below-average performance. They have struggled with team batting average, ranking last in the league. However, they boast an impressive 5th place ranking in stolen bases.

According to our advanced-stat Power Rankings, the Tigers bullpen is considered the 13th best in MLB, while the Athletics bullpen ranks as the 26th best, indicating a significant difference in quality between the two teams' relief pitchers.

In terms of the betting odds, the Tigers are the favorite with a moneyline of -165, giving them an implied win probability of 60%. The Athletics, as the underdogs, have a moneyline of +145, suggesting an implied win probability of 40%.

Considering the projections, the Tigers are expected to score an average of 4.46 runs in this game, while the Athletics are projected to score 3.54 runs.

Overall, this game presents an interesting matchup. With the Tigers' strong season and the Athletics' struggles, the Tigers have a higher projected win probability. However, in baseball, anything can happen, and the Athletics have the potential to surprise. The game total is set at 8.0 runs, indicating an average expectation for scoring. As the game approaches, baseball fans and sports bettors will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of this American League matchup.

Quick Takes Oakland Athletics:

Hitting from the same side that Kenta Maeda throws from, J.D. Davis will not have the upper hand in today's game.

• Right-handed hitters perform better against left-handed pitchers (and visa-versa). This can have a huge impact on whether a hitter will perform well or struggle on any given day.

According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Oakland Athletics' bullpen grades out as the 5th-worst out of all the teams in the majors.

• Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game's runs.

Quick Takes Detroit Tigers:

The Detroit Tigers infield defense profiles as the weakest among every team playing today.

• Defense is an integral part of preventing (or, in this case, allowing) hits and runs.

Zach McKinstry hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.3% — 95th percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards the league's 2nd-deepest CF fences in today's matchup.

• This player's skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he's in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Final Score Prediction: Oakland Athletics 3.82 vs Detroit Tigers 4.37

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