Reds vs Tigers Picks and Odds – Aug 1
- The Cincinnati Reds are -152 favorites over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday (Aug. 1, 1:10 pm EST)
- Trevor Bauer (0-0, 1.42 ERA) will start for Cincy, while Detroit will give the ball to Michael Fulmer (0-1, 13.50 ERA)
- Read below for a preview and betting prediction for the game
The MLB season isn’t even two weeks old and Saturday will already mark the fifth meeting between the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. Detroit took two of three from Cincinnati last weekend, and owns a better overall record coming in, yet are still a home underdog at Comerica Park Saturday versus the Reds.
Reds vs Tigers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | -152 | -1.5 (+100) | Over 9.0 (-115) |
| Detroit Tigers | +140 | +1.5 (-120) | Under 9.0 (-115) |
Odds taken July 31st.
Cincy opened as a -152 favorite in the Reds vs Tigers odds in a game that features a total of 9. Trevor Bauer will get the ball for Cincinnati when the two teams take the field at 1:10 pm EST, and he’ll be looking to repeat the dominant performance he had against Detroit last Sunday.
Bauer Was at His Best
In his first start of the season, Bauer was simply outstanding. He held the Tigers to just two hits over 6.1 innings and the lone blemish on his boxscore was a solo home run to Niko Goodrum.
Trevor Bauer, Filthy 81mph Curveball. 😷 pic.twitter.com/7e1GAcGohO
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 26, 2020
The 29-year-old looked like the 2018 All-Star version of himself, striking out 13 batters and issuing just a single walk. He was in complete control of his full arsenal of pitches, and allowed only 25% of the hitters he faced to make hard contact.
Trevor Bauer faking a throw to the outfield 😂
6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 13 K’s 🔥 pic.twitter.com/d2qrhqzagy
— Sports = Life (@SportzzTweetzz) July 26, 2020
Bauer has plenty of experience against this Tigers lineup, having spent most of the past seven seasons in Cleveland. He owns a 10-6 lifetime mark versus them, and has a history of pitching well at Comerica Park. The right-hander is 5-2 in Detroit, with a 3.31 ERA and a 52-10 strikeout-to-walk rate.
Tigers Career Stats vs Bauer
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niko Goodrum | 19 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 7 | .368 |
| Jonathan Schoop | 26 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 8 | .261 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 40 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 8 | .300 |
| C.J. Cron | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .143 |
| Harold Castro | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | .300 |
| Victor Reyes | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .143 |
| Christin Stewart | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .200 |
| Austine Romine | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .250 |
| Jacoby Jones | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .250 |
Speaking of strikeouts, Detroit’s number two through five hitters were a combined 0-11, with six strikeouts in their first meeting versus Bauer.
Fulmer Was Flat Out Awful
While Bauer shined in his season debut, the same cannot be said for Tigers starter Michael Fulmer. The 27-year-old was hit hard by KC of all teams, surrendering four runs in just 2.2 innings of work.
We hear from Michael Fulmer, who gives up three homers in his first start back from Tommy John surgery. pic.twitter.com/2iYCrBwWRe
— FOX Sports Detroit (@FOXSportsDet) July 28, 2020
The outing was his first since undergoing Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2019 season. After a stellar rookie year in 2016, Fulmer has steadily gone down hill. 2018 was especially tough to watch, as he won just three of his 24 starts and posted a career worst 4.69 ERA.
Reds Career Stats vs Fulmer
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shogo Akiyama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Joey Votto | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Eugenio Suarez | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| Mike Moustakas | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .300 |
| Nicholas Castellanos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Jesse Winker | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Nick Senzel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Freddy Galvis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Tucker Barnhart | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
The Reds organization has only faced Fulmer once, so their 2020 lineup has little experience against him. Nevertheless, Cincy’s offense is quite formidable, ranking third in runs scored per game (6.17) entering play Friday.
Back Bauer and the Reds
On paper this game is a mismatch. The Reds are expected to compete for a playoff spot in the NL, while the Tigers are projected to finish with the third fewest wins.
Cincy has a big advantage in the starting pitching department with Bauer, and its offense has been much stronger to start the season than Detroit’s. Through the first seven games of the season, the Tigers have averaged just four runs per outing, and in games where they’ve faced an elite starter (vs Bauer, and Sonny Gray), they’ve scored only four runs total.
Pick: Cincinnati Reds -1.5 (+100)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
