Pirates at Tigers Under 9 1/2
Unders often are the way to go at the beginning of the baseball season. This game is an example. The forecast is for temperatures in the low 40’s and soggy conditions with about a 90 percent chance of rain.
Quite a contrast from what these teams have been used to especially the Tigers playing in 80-degree plus weather during spring training in Lakeland, Fla.
Both teams got weaker offensively during the off-season. No Andrew McCutchen. The Tigers are likely to have Leony Martin, Dixon Machado and Jeimer Candelano in their starting lineup.
Yet we have a fairly high total given the conditions because of a starting pitching matchup of Ivan Nova versus Jordan Zimmermann. I like both of these veterans to have bounce back seasons. Nova reported to training camp 10 pounds lighter. Zimmermann isn’t going to be the All-Star quality pitcher he once was with the Nationals, but he’s healthy now and I look for him to put up much better numbers. Both hurlers are helped pitching at Comerica Park.
I like both team’s closers, too, Felipe Rivera and Shane Greene.