Tigers vs. A’s: Picks, predictions, how to watch Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader

The Detroit Tigers and Oakland A’s square off in a doubleheader on Thursday with first pitch for Game 1 set for 3:37 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Tarik Skubal (6-8, 4.11 ERA) will start for the Tigers, and Zach Logue (3-4, 5.16 ERA) is on the mound for the Athletics.

Detroit (37-55) went into the All-Star break on a four-game losing streak as it gets ready for Thursday’s doubleheader. Skubal will make his 19th start of 2022 but struggled going into the break with a 7.46 ERA over his previous seven outings. The Tigers have the worst offense in the league with just 3.1 runs per game, and nobody on the roster has double-digit home runs at this point of the season. Javier Baez has driven in a team-high 35 runs in 2022.

Oakland (32-61) has the worst record in the American League heading into the second half of the MLB season. Logue is making his eighth appearance and seventh start of 2022 as a rookie. He played his best game on May 11 when he threw 7 scoreless innings in a victory over the Tigers. The Athletics rank No. 29 in runs per game (3.3), and Seth Brown leads the team with 10 homers and 38 RBIs.

Tigers vs. A’s

Pitchers: Tarik Skubal vs. Zach Logue
First pitch: 3:37 p.m. ET
Tigers local broadcast: Bally Sports Detroit
A’s local broadcast: NBC Sports California
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Tigers -1.5 (+125)
Run total: 7
Moneyline odds: Tigers -150, Athletics +130

Moneyline pick: Athletics +130

It’s pretty difficult to suggest taking the Tigers with such a small payout considering how bad their offense has been and Skubal’s struggles heading into the All-Star Break. Skubal’s season-long numbers are bit deceiving because he got off to a strong start over the first two months of 2022, but he has yet to get back on track.

Player prop pick: Zach Logue Under 4.5 strikeouts (-175)

You will not see a massive return with this bet, but it’s highly unlikely the Athletics starter reaches 5 K’s on Thursday afternoon. He struck out 2 or fewer hitters in three of his last four starts and faces a Detroit offense that strikes out 8.4 times per game, which ranks 15th in the MLB.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY; 19+ ONT). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.