Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers Prediction, 8/24/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers

Date: Monday, August 24, 2026

Location: Comerica Park in Detroit, MI

TV: Detroit SportsNet

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (+125) Detroit (-145)

The Detroit Tigers (61-68) will play the Tampa Bay Rays (76-53) at Comerica Park on Monday. The moneyline on this matchup has the Rays at +125 while the Tigers are at -145. The betting total comes in at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Drew Rasmussen and Framber Valdez.

Tampa Bay has a slugging rate of .406 and have been rung up 913 times, while taking a walk on 416 occasions. They have 556 runs batted in and 1,131 hits for the season, while their team batting average sits at .261. The Rays have tallied 183 doubles as a team and have hit 135 balls out of the stadium. They have earned 584 runs scored and hold an on-base percentage of .330. As a team, the Tampa Bay Rays are recording 4.5 runs per contest, which has them sitting at 14th in MLB.

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The Rays have compiled a team earned run average of 3.85 on the campaign (8th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,056 batters. Rays pitchers have conceded 166 home runs and 542 runs in total (8th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 329 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.10 as a team over the course of the season. Tampa Bay has given up 1,014 base hits (7.9 per 9 innings) and also 493 earned runs. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 3.21 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.17.

The Rays have sent 411 relief pitchers to the hill on the season. The relief pitchers have inherited 152 base runners for the season and 30.3% of those players ended up scoring. The relief pitchers have tallied 96 holds so far this year (2nd in baseball). Rays pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 106 times and also have had 128 appearances in high leverage situations. They have tallied 50 saves for the season and have blown 16 out of their 66 save opportunities. The Rays bullpen have a save rate of 75.8% and have stepped onto the mound in 162 save situations.

The Rays have transformed 71.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 10,359 innings, which has them sitting at 3rd in baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated 3,453 putouts this year, as well as 1,021 assists and 77 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .983 which ranks 23rd in professional baseball, and have accumulated 87 double plays.

Rasmussen (43-22 record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 2.88 while he has gone up against 2,369 opposing hitters in the majors. He has conceded 474 hits (7.2 hits per 9 innings) and has 144 free passes. His earned run average is 2.92 (193 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.040. Rasmussen has taken the hill for 594 innings and has accumulated 566 strikeouts during his career.

The Tigers hold a slugging percentage of .404 and they score 4.50 runs per game (15th in the league). They have put up 197 doubles, while taking a walk 460 times and scoring 580 runs. Detroit has compiled 153 home runs this year to go along with 553 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 1,102 occasions (12th in the league) and have notched a total of 1,050 base hits. The Detroit Tigers have accounted for a team on-base percentage of .318 and a batting average of .241 on the season.

The Tigers hold a team WHIP of 1.212 and have a FIP of 3.92 as a pitching staff for the year. They are sitting at 4th in MLB as a staff in total hits allowed with 987. The Detroit pitching staff have given up 503 runs over the course of the season while holding a team ERA of 3.56 (451 earned runs allowed). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.30 (1,055 strikeouts vs 396 free passes). They have yielded 132 homers and they concede 3.97 runs per 9 innings (6th in baseball).

With 117 save situations, the Tigers have amassed 61 holds and also 28 blown saves. Detroit has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 54 save opportunities and they have walked away with 26 saves. Detroit bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 27.0% out of their 204 inherited runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 103 times in high leverage situations and on 140 occasions with runners on. They are currently ranked 30th in MLB holding a save percentage of 48.1%, and they have sent 398 relief pitchers onto the diamond so far this year.

The Detroit Tigers have gotten 99 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .987 (9th in baseball). The Tigers have accrued 1,138 assists, 59 errors and have 3,424 putouts this year. In 10,272 innings on the diamond, the Tigers have earned a defensive efficiency of 71.5% (4th in MLB).

In his career, Valdez has surrendered 1,052 hits while earning 1,164 punch outs in 1,218 innings. He has conceded 471 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.227 and having a FIP of 3.4. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.63 and he has faced 5,096 batters so far in his career. Valdez (89-60 win-loss record in his career) has a 3.48 ERA while giving up 7.8 hits per nine innings.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (+125)

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