Sacramento Athletics vs Detroit Tigers Prediction, 7/9/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Sacramento Athletics vs Detroit Tigers

Date: Thursday, July 9, 2026

Location: Comerica Park in Detroit, MI

TV: Detroit SportsNet

Odds/Point Spread: Sacramento (+120) Detroit (-144)

The Sacramento Athletics (41-50) are headed to Comerica Park on Thursday where they will attempt to defeat the Detroit Tigers (41-50). The line on this contest has Sacramento at +120 while Detroit is priced at -144. The over/under is 8.5. The pitchers expected to start will be Jack Perkins and Framber Valdez.

The Athletics have accrued 141 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 115 baseballs out of the park. Sacramento has a slugging percentage of .409 and have struck out 793 times, while being walked on 332 occasions. As a squad, the Sacramento Athletics are scoring 4.6 runs per game, which has them at 12th in the league. They have earned 401 RBI's in addition to 769 base knocks this year, while their average at the plate is at .248. They have earned a total of 418 runs while holding a team OBP of .326.

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The Athletics hold a team earned run average of 5.11 for the year (29th in MLB), and their staff has rung up 767 hitters. Athletics pitchers have allowed 141 home runs and 494 runs in total (29th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 354 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.95 as a team this year. Sacramento has surrendered 842 base hits (9.3 per 9 innings) in addition to 462 earned runs. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.17 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.47.

The Athletics have sent 311 relief pitchers to the hill for the year. The relievers have inherited 151 base runners on the year with 34.4% of those players ended up crossing the plate. The relievers have a total of 56 holds on the campaign (9th in MLB). Athletics bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with opponents on base 100 times and also have had 96 appearances in high leverage situations. They have accumulated 24 saves on the campaign and have blown 18 out of their 42 chances to save the game. The Athletics bullpen have accumulated a save percentage of 57.1% and have come into the game in 100 save situations.

The Sacramento Athletics are sitting with 2,439 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 693 assists and 36 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .989 which has them sitting 5th in professional baseball, and have 62 double plays. The Athletics have turned 68.5% of balls hit into play into outs out of 7,317 innings on the diamond, ranking them 28th in the majors.

Perkins (5-6 career record) has a FIP of 5.66 while going up against 412 batters in the majors. He has conceded 85 base knocks (8.3 hits per nine innings) and has 39 free passes. His ERA is 5.75 (59 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.342. Perkins has taken the ball for 92 innings and has tallied 107 strikeouts so far in his MLB career.

Detroit has a total of 106 home runs so far this year to go along with 367 runs batted in. They have notched 137 doubles, while walking 327 times as well as notching 385 runs. The Detroit Tigers have an OBP of .314 and a team batting average of .236 so far this year. The Tigers hold a team SLG% of .398 and they are earning 4.23 runs per game (21st in MLB). They have been called out on strikes on 791 occasions (11th in the league) and are sitting with 717 base knocks.

The Tigers have a WHIP of 1.226 in addition to having a FIP of 3.94 as a staff on the season. They come in at 7th in MLB as a staff in total hits surrendered with 711. The Detroit pitching staff have yielded 370 runs this season while having an ERA of 3.73 (332 earned runs surrendered). Their K/BB ratio sits at 8.40 (744 strikeouts against 271 bases on balls). They have given up 94 HR's and they allow 4.16 runs per 9 innings (8th in MLB).

They are currently ranked 29th in MLB holding a save rate of 45.9%, and they have dispatched 280 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the year. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 75 times in high leverage situations in addition to 101 occasions with runners on. With 80 save situations, the Tigers have tallied 41 holds in addition to 20 blown saves. Detroit has called on relievers to enter the game in 37 save opportunities and they have come away with 17 saves. Detroit relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 28.6% of 154 inherited runners.

The Detroit Tigers have gotten 65 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (7th in MLB). The Tigers have racked up 789 assists, 40 errors and have accumulated 2,405 putouts for the year. Out of their 7,215 innings on the diamond, the Tigers have earned a efficiency on defense of 71.0% (7th in the majors).

In his pro baseball career, Valdez has allowed 1,015 base knocks while he has tallied 1,131 punch outs in 1,180 innings. Valdez (85-58 career win-loss record) is the owner of a 3.45 earned run average and has allowed 7.7 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 452 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.220 and a FIP of 3.4. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.66 and he has faced 4,926 hitters during his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Sacramento (+120)

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