Tigers vs Phillies Odds: Nola Huge Favorite Over Wentz

The Tigers vs Phillies odds show Aaron Nola a hefty -215 over Detroit’s Joey Wentz. Both teams are -110 on the run line. The total is 9. The Tigers enter the game with a 26-31 record, including 12-18 on the road. The Phillies are 27-32, but 14-10 at home.

Wentz has some unsightly numbers for the Tigers. He enters the game with a 1-5 record and a 7.28 ERA. His last three starts have even been worse, as Wentz has an ERA of 10.45 and is allowing more than two hits per inning. But as bad as Wentz has been, there’s really just one record that matters to baseball bettors. That’s team record in games started. From that perspective, Wentz hasn’t been all that bad. The Tigers have won five of his 11 starts.

Nola isn’t having a typical season by his standards. He’s 4-4 with a 4.70 ERA and the Phillies are 5-7 in the games he’s started. Nola has pitched a little better at home, where Philadelphia is 3-1 in his starts and he has a 3.86 ERA.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers aren’t a good team by any stretch of the imagination. But they are a profitable one. Because the MLB odds typically have the Tigers as large underdogs, they’ve shown a flat-bet profit of $396 on the season. Detroit plays to an average line of +140.9. The Tigers are 20-28 as an underdog this season and 4-5 when the line is +190 or higher.

Detroit isn’t a very good hitting team. Its .226 batting average ranks No. 28 in Major League Baseball. Only Cleveland and Oakland score at a lower rate than Detroit. The Tigers are No. 27 in home runs and No. 28 in slugging percentage.

Detroit is No. 20 in team ERA at 4.40, although Wentz certainly hasn’t helped in that regard. The Tigers have just 14 saves and nine blown saves. Wins certainly don’t come easy for the Tigers. But they’ve managed to win 45.6% of their games somehow.

Philadelphia Phillies

Even though the Phillies have a comparable record to the Tigers, Philadelphia has been a terrible team to back this season. Philadelphia is showing a flat-bet loss of $1,353 due to going off at an average price of -125. The Phillies are 19-18 as favorites. But at an average price of -156, they’re definitely a losing proposition in that regard.

The Phillies are No. 11 in team batting with a .257 average. Philadelphia is also No. 11 in slugging percentage and No. 18 in home runs. The Phillies haven’t always made the most of their hits, ranking No. 23 in runs scored.

On the mound, the Phillies are No. 23 in team ERA with a 4.57 mark. The Phillies do have 15 saves in 20 opportunities, so the bullpen has been solid in that regard.

Handicapping the Game

The Tigers vs Phillies odds make this one interesting from a handicapping perspective. The Phillies are huge favorites and should win. But are their chances of winning equal to the odds? That’s the question handicappers have to answer when placing a bet on this one.

As bad as Wentz has been, the Tigers have found a way to win a fair number of his starts. The Tigers have dropped three straight and are 13-17 after a loss and have gone 15-15 in those games.

The Phillies are on a modest two-game winning streak. Philadelphia is 14-12 after a win, while going 9-16-1 in totals in those games. The Phillies have been a solid under team after a victory.

The MLB weather should be nice in Philadelphia, with temperatures expected to be in the mid-70s, with little chance of rain.

The Tigers vs Phillies odds make it extremely tough to pull the trigger on Nola, although the Phillies should win. But laying -215 on Nola and Philadelphia probably isn’t going to be profitable over the long haul. The Tigers have shown an ability to win as large underdogs this season. Detroit offers a little bit of value in this one and is worth a solid look.

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