The Yankees face off against the Tigers today in what’s shaping up to be an interesting matchup. Detroit grabbed the first game of their three-game series 6-2, cooling off New York’s much-talked-about “torpedo bats” that have been making headlines across baseball.
Both teams are sitting pretty at 6-4 and leading their divisions as they head into Tuesday’s clash.
The pitching matchup is where things get interesting. Detroit is sending their ace Tarik Skubal to the mound – you know, last year’s AL Cy Young winner. The Yankees will counter with veteran Carlos Carrasco.
First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park in Detroit.
The oddsmakers are heavily favoring the Tigers, making them -168 favorites while the Yankees come in as +141 underdogs. The over/under is set at 7.5 runs.
But here’s where betting gets interesting.
## Yankees money line (+141)
This might be the smart play today. Yes, Skubal was dominant last season, winning the AL pitching triple crown. But he’s struggled out of the gate this year.
He’s already lost twice and has a bloated 5.91 ERA. Even more concerning? He’s given up three homers in just 10 2/3 innings.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have been absolutely crushing left-handed pitching with a team OPS of 1.003 so far this season.
Computer simulations show New York winning 54% of the time – way better than the 40.82% the betting odds suggest.
## Over 7.5 runs (+105)
The pitching hasn’t been great for either starter. Skubal and Carrasco have combined to allow 13 earned runs in just 18 innings this season.
It’s going to be cold in Detroit – temperatures in the 30s – but there’s a stiff breeze expected to be blowing straight out to left field, which could help carry some balls over the fence.
These teams put up 8 runs yesterday despite the cold, and they’re averaging nearly 13 runs per game combined this season.
## Jazz Chisholm Over 0.5 total bases (-147)
Chisholm’s batting average isn’t impressive at just .214, but he’s been collecting extra-base hits like crazy. He already has 23 total bases in 10 games.
He’s gotten at least one hit in six of his ten games this season.
The Yankees have been giving him prime lineup placement too – batting him third, fourth or fifth in every game. And while he’s never faced Skubal personally, current Yankees hitters have a .927 career OPS against Detroit’s ace.
## Want more MLB picks for Tuesday?
You can find MLB projections for every game at SportsLine.
