St. Louis Cardinals at Detroit Tigers, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors DET.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Cardinals- Nolan ArenadoBatting2-3
- Kyle GibsonPitching7.0 IP, 1 ER, 9 K
Tigers- Riley GreeneBatting1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Jack FlahertyPitching6.2 IP, 0 ER, 14 K
Scoring summary
- 9Pagés hit sacrifice fly to center, Goldschmidt scored.2–1
- 9Pitch 2 : Ball In Play2–1
- 9Pitch 1 : Strike 1 Looking1–1
- 9Burleson singled to right, Arenado scored, Goldschmidt to third.1–1
- 9Pitch 1 : Ball In Play1–1
- 4Greene homered to center (421 feet).0–1
- 4Pitch 3 : Ball In Play0–1
- 4Pitch 2 : Ball 20–0
- 4Pitch 1 : Ball 10–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Tigers 54%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 50–55% have won 52.7% of 2,871 graded games.
- Market
- DET 54%
- ML STL +110 / DET -130
- Pre-line forecast
- DET 55%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- DET 52%
- Ratings vs. market
- −2.2 pts
- DET: Elo 52.1%, market 54.3%
- Fair odds
- DET -119
- STL +119 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- STL 4.1 – 4.4 DET
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8.5
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | STL | DET | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1475 | 1494 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +5 | −18 | STL: Kyle Gibson: team allows 0.25 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) · DET: Jack Flaherty: team allows 0.91 more runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | DET +14 Elo | DET 52.1% | |
| Market-implied ratings | DET 55.7% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | DET 55.2% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | DET 54.3% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road.
| STL | Stat | DET |
|---|---|---|
| 27th of 303.6 | Runs scored | 4.021st of 30 |
| 18th of 304.4 | Runs allowed | 3.97th of 30 |
| 24th of 30−0.8 | Margin | +0.117th of 30 |
| 18th of 304–6 | Last 10 | 6–47th of 30 |
| 16th of 308–8 | Road vs home | 6–818th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  STL |  DET |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 15–12 | 12–16 |
| Last 10 | 4–6 | 6–4 |
| Favorite | 5–6 | 2–13 |
| Underdog | 10–6 | 10–3 |
| Overs–unders | 9–16–2 | 14–14 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 4–6 | 6–4 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
STL 1–2 DET in their last 3 meetings; the forecast called 1 of 3.