Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians Expert MLB Picks Against the Spread 6/21/2019

Friday, June 21, 2019

Progressive Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Matthew Boyd vs. Trevor Bauer

Carlos Santana and the Cleveland Indians (39-34, 2nd in AL Central) play the Detroit Tigers (26-44, 4th in AL Central) at Progressive Field on Friday, June 21, 2019. The Indians open this game at -180 while the Tigers are priced at +170. The O/U has been set at 8.5.

The Tigers have been an awful option for MLB bettors, having gone 26-44-0 SU. Cleveland covers 53.4% of the time, going 39-34-0 straight up. The Indians have been less than ideal for Vegas oddsmakers as a favorite, going 28-27-0 SU. Detroit covers 33.9% of the time as an underdog, having gone 19-37-0 straight up.

Valuable Detroit Tigers Betting Trends

The Tigers have been a solid Under choice for over/under bettors, having gone 30-35-5.

Detroit covers 44.1% of the time as the visitor, having gone 15-19-0 straight up.

Important Cleveland Indians Betting Trends

Cleveland covers 54.0% of the time at Progressive Field, going 20-17-0 SU.

The Indians have been an awful Over choice for over/under bettors, having gone 30-40-3.

Related: MLB Baseball First Five Innings Betting Strategy

Key Detroit Tigers Injuries

6/19/2019 Jordy Mercer SS Quadriceps Expected to be out until at least Jun 28
6/14/2019 Grayson Greiner C Back Expected to be out until at least Jun 25
6/14/2019 Tyson Ross SP Elbow Expected to be out until at least Jul 12
6/9/2019 Josh Harrison 2B Hamstring Expected to be out until at least Jul 27
4/30/2019 Matt Moore SP Knee Out for the season
3/23/2019 Michael Fulmer SP Elbow Out for the season
10/25/2019 Artie Lewicki RP Elbow Out for the season

Key Cleveland Indians Injuries

6/19/2019 Corey Kluber SP Forearm Expected to be out until at least Jul 12
6/18/2019 Mike Clevinger SP Ankle Expected to be out until at least Jun 22
6/18/2019 Dan Otero RP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Jun 25
6/14/2019 Bradley Zimmer CF Side Expected to be out until at least Jul 1
6/5/2019 Jefry Rodriguez SP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Jul 1
6/5/2019 Carlos Carrasco SP Illness Expected to be out until at least Jul 12
5/28/2019 Danny Salazar SP Shoulder Expected to be out until at least Jun 28

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Tigers have a 26-44 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd has a 5-5 record with an earned run average of 3.35 and a WHIP of 1.08 this season. He has 112 strikeouts over his 88.2 innings pitched and he's given up 79 hits. He's allowed 8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.21 and they have given up 274 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .265 against the bullpen and they've struck out 222 hitters and walked 121 batters. As a team, Detroit allows 9.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 8 batters per nine innings. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.89. The Tigers pitchers collectively have given up 658 base hits and 342 earned runs. They have allowed 107 home runs this season, ranking them 8th in the league. Detroit as a pitching staff has walked 239 batters and struck out 563. They have walked 3.4 men per 9 innings while striking out 8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.43 and their FIP as a unit is 4.88.

Related: Get MLB tips & picks on all of today's games

Hitting Statistics

As a team Detroit is hitting .229, good for 28th in the league. The Tigers hold a .378 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .291, which is good for 28th in baseball. They rank 28th in MLB with 7.7 hits per game. Miguel Cabrera is hitting .297 with an on-base percentage of .357. He has 70 hits this season in 236 at bats with 30 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .394 and an OPS+ of 100. Nicholas Castellanos is hitting .268 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .326. He has totaled 73 hits and he has driven in 25 men in 272 at bats. His OPS+ is 103 while his slugging percentage is at .452. The Tigers have 549 hits, including 135 doubles and 61 home runs. Detroit has walked 194 times so far this season and they have struck out 697 times as a unit. They have left 472 men on base and have a team OPS of .669. They score 3.54 runs per contest and have scored a total of 251 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Cleveland has a 39-34 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.41, Trevor Bauer has a 5-6 record and a 1.12 WHIP. He has 117 strikeouts over the 108.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 76 hits. He's allowing 6.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.12. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.31 and they have given up 204 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .236 against the Indians bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 235 batters and walked 73 opposing hitters. As a team, Cleveland allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.6 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.9. The Indians pitchers as a team have surrendered 574 base knocks and 278 earned runs this season. They have given up 97 home runs this year, which ranks 16th in Major League Baseball. Cleveland as a staff has walked 210 hitters and struck out 688 batters. They give up a walk 2.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 9.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.22 while their FIP as a staff is 4.12.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .235, good for 26th in the league. The Indians hold a .402 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .317, which is good for 21st in baseball. They rank 27th in MLB with 7.8 hits per contest. Carlos Santana comes into this matchup batting .288 with an OBP of .412. He has 74 hits this year along with 43 RBI in 257 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .514 with an OPS+ of 143. Francisco Lindor is hitting .298 this season and he has an OBP of .363. He has collected 65 hits in 218 at bats while driving in 26 runs. He has an OPS+ of 130 and a slugging percentage of .523. The Indians as a unit have 566 base hits, including 112 doubles and 92 homers. Cleveland has walked 274 times this year and they have struck out on 620 occasions. They have had 490 men left on base and have an OPS of .719. They have scored 4.41 runs per game and totaled 322 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Tigers/Indians MLB game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Tigers +170

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