Odds courtesy of TonyBet.
Tigers vs Phillies Odds
The Phillies are a heavy -148 moneyline at MLB betting sites with Sanchez on the hill. The Tigers come back at +114 odds, while the O/U is set at a modest 7.5 runs. That makes sense, though, considering the two elite arms taking the bump.
Tigers vs Phillies Analysis
It’s been a rough campaign for a Tigers team that not long ago had World Series aspirations after sitting on the doorstep of the ALCS last season. However, Detroit has been playing better baseball lately. Entering Friday’s matchup with the Phillies, AJ Hinch’s ball club is in the midst of a five-game winning streak, and now sits just seven games below .500. With the American League Central wide open, not all is lost quite yet. In fact, the Tigers are only 4.5 games out of first place, at the time of writing.
Pitching is the No. 1 reason for their recent success. Prior to Friday, the Detroit staff posted a stellar 1.00 ERA over the last week, allowing just 0.60 HR/9. Hinch will be hoping Mize can put his best foot forward here. The righty has emerged as the ace of this rotation with Skubal missing time and struggling to find his form. Mize owns a 4-5 record and 2.64 ERA. Mize has compiled a 3.32 FIP across his last four appearances, allowing just a 36.8% hard-hit rate during that span.
The Phillies are battling it out in the National League East, which features several good teams. Before Friday, Philly sat just three games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves, but the surging Miami Marlins are also right on their heels. The NL Wild Card will likely be the Phillies’ path to making the playoffs, but they will also be hungry to win the division. With a whole second half ahead, lots can change.
But Philadelphia isn’t in great shape right now. They have a team ERA over five over the last week and just 94 wRC+ during that span, with the latter below the league average. Sanchez will be looking to bounce back from arguably his worst start of the year, getting tagged for nine earned runs by the Kansas City Royals on July 6. He also allowed three homers. Nevertheless, the left-hander still has a terrific 2.62 ERA and remains in the running for the NL Cy Young.
Tigers vs Phillies Picks
Sanchez has given up 14 earned runs across his last two road starts, and Mize has a phenomenal 2.14 FIP at Comerica Park while allowing just 0.26 HR/9. I’ll take the Tigers to add to Sanchez’s struggles, and their ace to keep Philly at bay.
Pick: Tigers +114/TonyBet
