The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers tangle in the second contest of a three-game series at Comerica Park on Tuesday afternoon.
MLB betting lines opened with the BoSox as -130 favorites and have since shortened to -125 with the Over/Under sitting at 9.
Here are our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Red Sox vs. Tigers on Tuesday, April 12, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
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Red Sox vs Tigers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line hit the board with the Red Sox installed as -130 favorites with the Over/Under at 9.5. Early money has come in on the Tigers and the Under, shifting the line to Boston -125 and lowering the total to 9, with some books moving down all the way to 8.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Red Sox vs Tigers predictions
Picks made on 4/12/2022 at 10 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Red Sox vs Tigers game info
• Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
• Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
• First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET
• TV: NESN, Bally Sports Detroit
Red Sox vs Tigers betting preview
Starting pitchers
Rich Hill (2021: 7-8, 3.86 ERA): The 42-year-old just keeps chugging along and is coming off a solid season with the Mets and Rays where he posted a 1.28 WHIP with a .257 OBA in 31 starts. His 158.2 innings pitched last season is the second-highest total of his career and the most since 2007. The southpaw did struggle in his final start of spring training getting shelled for 11 hits and nine earned runs across 3.2 innings.
Tyler Alexander (2021: 2-4, 3.81 ERA): The 26-year-old lefty is primarily used as a long reliever but made 15 starts last year and will be used in that role today with the recently signed Michael Pineda getting reps at Triple-A. Alexander looked very sharp in Grapefruit League action, allowing just two hits and one run across 8.2 innings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Red Sox: Trevor Story 2B (Questionable), Josh Taylor RP (Out).
Tigers: Kyle Funkhouser RP (Out), Jose Cisnero RP (Out), Andrew Chafin RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 15-6-1 in the Tiger's last 22 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Tigers.
Red Sox vs Tigers picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Tigers won the first contest of the series last night with Javy Baez hitting a two-run shot in the eighth inning to break open a tied game. The Tigers are now 2-2 while the Red Sox fall to 1-3.
A big problem for both of these teams so far this season has been hitting. The Tigers are 24th in the majors with a batting average of .203 while the Sox are 29th in BA (.173) and 28th in OPS (.551) despite having a stacked lineup on paper.
Lefty Tyler Alexander will get the start for the Tigers today. The hybrid starter/reliever was effective in a starting role last season pitching to a 3.38 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 66.2 innings compared to a 4.54 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 39.2 innings out of the bullpen. He also looked terrific in spring training but there are questions in the bullpen behind him, especially with three key relievers currently injured.
The Red Sox will respond with veteran Rich Hill. He was absolutely wrecked by his former teammates in his last start of spring training but looked good in his first two appearances, scattering three hits across five scoreless innings. The Sox have discussed pairing Hill with hard-throwing righty Garrett Whitlock.
That could be a very effective one-two with the 26-year-old coming off a rookie season where he went 8-4 with a 1.96 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 73.1 innings.
We have yet to see either of these lineups play up to their potential but I think there's a higher ceiling for the BoSox hitters and their situation out of the bullpen appears a bit better as well. I'll back the Sox as slim road favorites to bounce back after last night's loss.
Prediction: Red Sox moneyline (-125 at Bet365)
Over/Under analysis
The Over/Under is set at 9.5 which indicates that the oddsmakers think the sluggers on these teams are bound to break out eventually. We're not so sure, especially because the biggest issue hasn't been the big-name hitters but the less dangerous bats on either side.
The Sox added All-Star infielder Trevor Story in the offseason to make an already good offense even better but he has missed the last two games with the flu and is questionable tonight.
The top sluggers on the BoSox (Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and J.D. Martinez) have actually been solid, but the problem is the rest of the lineup has been beyond pathetic. Boston's other hitters have gone a combined 10-85 (.117 BA) at the plate.
The Tigers added Baez and Austin Meadows in the offseason to give their offense a boost and the pair have been a bright spot in an otherwise struggling lineup.
Detroit's four best hitters last year (Jonathan Schoop, Jeimer Candelario, Robbie Grossman, and Akil Baddoo) have gone a combined 6-53 (.113 BA) at the plate and hyped prospect Spencer Torkelson is still looking for his first hit.
We also have a decent amount of faith in Tyler Alexander and he'll likely be looking to make a good impression and earn a role in the rotation in the future.
While it might seem like a bit of a projection to expect Garrett Whitlock, there has been lots of chatter about him piggybacking Hill this season and he hasn't pitched since last Friday so an appearance and a couple of strong innings seem very likely.
With so many players struggling to hit on both teams and promising young pitchers likely to feature, we'll take the Under on a pretty big total.
Prediction: Under 9 (-110 at William Hill)
Best bet
We're seeing the O/U tick down across different sportsbooks but most are still offering nearly even odds at 9.0. That's where we think the best value lies in this one with how poorly both teams have been at the dish. Follow the line movement and back the Under.
Pick: Under 9 (-110 at William Hill)
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