Tampa Bay Rays 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
Rays- Jonathan ArandaBatting1-4, 1 RBI
- Shane BazPitching6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 K
Tigers- Colt KeithBatting3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Keider MonteroPitching6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K
Scoring summary
- 7McKinstry homered to right (385 feet).1–5
- 7Keith homered to right (390 feet).1–4
- 5Greene singled to right, Keith scored.1–3
- 3Aranda singled to right, Walls scored, Jansen thrown out at third.1–2
- 2Báez homered to left center (391 feet), Dingler scored.0–2
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Rays 52%
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
- TB 52%
- ML TB -120 / DET +100
- Pre-line forecast
- TB 49%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- TB 43%
- Ratings vs. market
- −8.7 pts
- TB: Elo 43.4%, market 52.2%
- Fair odds
- TB -109
- DET +109 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- TB 4.3 – 4.2 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 | TB | DET | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1526 | 1535 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | 0 | +19 | TB: Shane Baz: team allows 0.02 more runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) · DET: Keider Montero: team allows 0.93 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈9 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | DET +46 Elo | DET 56.6% | |
| Market-implied ratings | TB 50.1% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | DET 50.9% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | TB 52.2% | 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. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| TB | Stat | DET |
|---|---|---|
| 7th of 304.8 | Runs scored | 5.05th of 30 |
| 11th of 304.0 | Runs allowed | 3.85th of 30 |
| 6th of 30+0.8 | Margin | +1.22nd of 30 |
| 20th of 304–6 | Last 10 | 7–33rd of 30 |
| 2nd of 3021–16 | Road vs home | 30–143rd of 30 |
| 11th of 301501 | Opponent Elo | 149130th of 30 |
| 9th of 301526 | Elo rating | 15357th 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 |  TB |  DET |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 48–42 | 48–43 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 19–31 | 33–28 |
| Underdog | 29–11 | 15–15 |
| Overs–unders | 39–51 | 49–42 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 6–4 | 5–5 |
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
TB 8–7 DET in their last 15 meetings; the forecast called 11 of 15.