Teams off to solid starts to their seasons meet when the Detroit Tigers face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second of a two-game interleague series matchup on Tuesday. Pittsburgh earned a 7-4 win in Monday night's opener. The Tigers (6-4), second in the American League Central, were 41-40 on the road in 2023. The Pirates (9-2), first in the National League Central, were 39-42 a year ago.
First pitch from PNC Park in Pittsburgh is set for 12:35 p.m. ET. The Pirates lead the all-time series 48-42, including a 26-22 edge in games played in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a -119 favorite on the money line (risk $119 to win $100) in the latest Tigers vs. Pirates odds from SportsLine consensus, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 8.5. Before making any Pirates vs. Tigers picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It is coming off a profitable 93-74 season on top-rated MLB picks, and it excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 18-6 (+766). Anybody following has seen big returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Tigers vs. Pirates and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Pirates vs. Tigers:
- Tigers vs. Pirates money line: Detroit -101, Pittsburgh -119
- Tigers vs. Pirates over/under: 8.5 runs
- Tigers vs. Pirates run line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+166)
- DET: +244 on the money line on the road this season
- PIT: +713 on the money line this season
- Tigers vs. Pirates picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Pirates
Pittsburgh is expected to send left-hander Martin Perez (1-0, 2.45 ERA) to the mound and he'll be backed by a lineup that is off to a hot start. Shortstop Oneil Cruz has been on fire at the plate to start the season. In 10 games, he has had multiple hit games in five of those. In a 5-2 loss to Baltimore on Friday, he was 3-for-4 with a homer. Despite going 0-for-4 on Monday, he is 8-for-23 (.348) over the last five games. For the season, he is hitting .304 with a double, two homers and four RBI.
Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is also off to a fast start to the year. In 10 games, he has five multi-hit games, including a 2-for-4 effort in Sunday's 3-2 win over Baltimore. He was 2-for-3 with a walk in Friday's loss to the Orioles. For the season, he is hitting .295 with three doubles and five RBI. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back the Tigers
Right-hander Casey Mize (0-0, 6.23 ERA) will start for Detroit. The former first-round pick is trying to put injury woes behind him, after having both Tommy John and back surgery. In his first outing on Thursday against the New York Mets, he went 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts. For his career, Mize is 7-13 with a 4.34 ERA. In 193 innings, he has allowed 177 hits, 93 earned runs and 58 walks with 152 strikeouts.
Infielder Gio Urshela has hits in six of seven games for Detroit, including a 1-for-2 effort in a pinch-hitting role on Monday. He was 3-for-5 with two RBI in a 6-3 win over the New York Mets on Thursday. He also had two doubles and an RBI in a 5-4 victory over the Oakland A's on Friday. For the season, he is hitting a team-best .370 with two doubles and three RBI. See which team to pick here.
How to make Tigers vs. Pirates picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 9.4 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Pirates vs. Tigers, and which side should you back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that went 18-6 on top-rated MLB run-line picks last season, and find out.
