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2020 MLB Detroit Tigers World Series Odds & Picks

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

Improvement for Baseball’s
Worst Team in 2019…But Not Much

The good news for the Detroit Tigers is that they should improve on their league-worst record of 47-114 in 2020. However, this team still has a long way to go before finishing above .500 once more.

Detroit had one of the worst offenses we have seen in the 21st Century last season, posting a .682 OPS as a team, and no player hit more than 15 home runs or knocked in 60 runs. They are a strong contender to finish with the worst record in baseball again in 2020, but it appears they have hit rock bottom.

2020 Detroit Tigers World Series
Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: +50000

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

2020 Detroit Tigers
Season World Series Odds Overview

Detroit is pegged to be one of the worst teams in baseball this season. The Tigers are tied with several other clubs as having the worst World Series odds at FanDuel at 500-1, and they will likely compete with the Royals for last place in the AL Central.

American League Central

The Tigers won four straight AL Central titles from 2011 to 2014, but they haven’t made it back to the postseason since that point. They won 64 games in 2017 and 2018 before bottoming out last season, and they are seen as a few tiers below Cleveland, Minnesota, and the White Sox in this division. Detroit is 150-1 to win the AL Central at FanDuel.

On the Hill

If the pitching prospects in the minors develop to their potential, this rotation will become one of the best in the majors in a few years. However, it will take time for Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal to reach the next level, so the staff is subpar heading into this season.

Ivan Nova will be the nominal ace of the unit after posting decent numbers with the White Sox last season. Nova has yet to throw more than 190 innings in a season, so it’s hard to ask him to carry the load, but he is an improvement on what we saw from Detroit’s rotation in 2019. His inability to secure strikeouts is concerning entering the season though.

Matthew Boyd was the most reliable pitcher on the staff in 2019. Boyd posted an 11.6 K/9, and his 1.23 WHIP was the best among the regular starters on the Tigers. He has an excellent slider that was responsible for nearly half his strikeouts, but the rest of his pitches are league average at best and his curveball was consistently crushed.

Perhaps the unluckiest pitcher in baseball last season was Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull went 3-17 despite posting a 4.61 ERA thanks to poor run support, and his 3.99 FIP was the best on the staff. Unlike every other pitcher on the Tigers, he did a good job of limiting home runs, and he racked up almost a strikeout an inning. However, his control was a big concern as he hit 16 batters over the course of the season.

At the Plate

Miguel Cabrera is at the tail end of his career, and it’s all about hitting milestones at this point. He is less than 200 hits away from 3,000 career hits, and he is just 23 home runs shy of 500. The once great hitter is running on fumes at this point, but he is still arguably the most dangerous hitter in Detroit’s lineup. Cabrera led the team in walks, and he posted a triple slash of .282/.346/.398 in 2019.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Detroit echoed that sentiment by signing Nova from the White Sox, and the Tigers also added Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron from the Twins in the offseason. Schoop has good power for an infielder, hitting 20 or more home runs in each of the past four seasons, and he finished last year with a .777 OPS. Meanwhile, Cron will likely be the best power hitter in the lineup after hitting 55 home runs over the last two seasons.

2020 Detroit Tigers World Series Projection

It’s all about development for the Tigers in 2020. Detroit’s young arms are the franchise’s future, and that’s the focus of the front office. This team is marginally better than it was in 2019, but Detroit is still likely to lose 100 games for the second straight season.

2020 Detroit Tigers World Series Free Pick:
Save Your Money

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

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