Mets vs Tigers Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers (May 4)

• The Mets and Tigers clash on Thursday
• Justin Verlander makes his season debut here
• Find the Mets vs Tigers odds, preview, and picks below

The New York Mets (16-14, 10-8 away) and the Detroit Tigers (11-17, 6-7 home)  wrap up a three-game set on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM ET. This is just their third meeting since the 2019 season.

The Mets will be thrilled to know Justin Verlander is set to make his season debut here after recovering from an injury. The Tigers counter with Eduardo Rodriguez.

Mets vs Tigers Odds

The Mets are a heavy favorite with -190 moneyline odds for an implied win probability of 65.52%. The Tigers come back at +160 and have a 38.46% chance of coming out victorious.

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Odds as of May 3rd at FanDuel. Use this FanDuel Sportsbook promo code to bet on Mets vs Tigers.

New York vs Detroit Probable Pitchers

Verlander went on the IL just before the campaign began with a shoulder strain. The righty said that if it were the postseason, he would’ve pitched through the pain, but for precautionary reasons, the team decided to let him heal.

Justin Verlander reflects on his time with the #Tigers:

“It was one hell of a run. … Mr. I was doing anything he could to put an unbelievable product on the field. What a time to be not only a player for the Tigers’ organization but a fan.” pic.twitter.com/GpLykYZx3a

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) May 2, 2023

As we all know, Verlander won the AL Cy Young last year en route to winning the World Series with the Houston Astros, going 18-4 with a ridiculous 1.74 ERA. The Mets signed him in the offseason. The veteran has a 3.10 ERA in two career outings against his former team.

Verlander vs Rodriguez Stats

Verlander’s stats from 2022*

Rodriguez is looking very solid for the Tigers early on, posting some eye-popping numbers. The lefty is 2-2 with a 2.21 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He’s shaping up to be the ace of this staff. Rodriguez has allowed just two runs in his last four starts and last time out, he dealt.

The 30-year-old tossed 5.2 frames, giving up just one earned run on four hits while striking out five. In one career appearance against the Mets, Rodriguez surrendered two runs in 4.1 innings of work.

Mets Getting Back to Full Strength

For a team that spent a boatload of money in the offseason, the Mets aren’t living up to expectations so far. Despite having one of the best MLB lineups around on paper, New York is scoring just 4.7 runs per game and hitting  .242 as a group. That ranks 18th.

IT'S OUTTA HERE 👋

Pete Alonso puts the Mets right back in the game with a 3-run blast 🍎

(via @Mets)pic.twitter.com/xOTI1LyhZZ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 1, 2023

To make matters worse, they’ve only slugged 31 home runs and Pete Alonso has 11 of them. The Mets need a lot more consistency at the plate. On a more positive note, Max Scherzer is back and Verlander is finally healthy, which should give this team a huge boost on the hill.

Will the Tigers Ever Figure It Out?

Another year, another brutal campaign for the Tigers. While it’s still early, Detroit is showing minimal signs of turning things around. They’re six games below .500 and rank toward the bottom of the MLB in nearly every offensive category.

The Tigers aren’t much better on the hill, either. Outside of E-Rod, the rotation is in shambles. No other start has an ERA under five. Yikes. At least Rodriguez will give Detroit a fighting chance on Thursday, though.

Mets vs Tigers Picks

Could Verlander be rusty? It’s possible. However, I do expect him to come out and dominate. With the Mets moneyline offering minimal value though, I’m actually looking at the under. Two quality arms on the bump could mean a low-scoring ball game.

Pick: Under 7.5 runs (-105)