Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates, 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 PIT.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Tigers- Kevin McGonigleBatting1-3, 2 RBI
- Jackson JobePitching5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 K
Pirates- Rafael Flores Jr.Batting2-2, 2 HR, 2 RBI
- Paul SkenesPitching4.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 K
Scoring summary
- 9Lowe homered to right (359 feet).3–4
- 9Flores Jr. homered to left (431 feet).3–3
- 7Flores Jr. homered to left (422 feet).3–2
- 5McGonigle doubled to center, Lee scored, Torres thrown out at home.3–1
- 5Torres singled to center, Clark scored, Lee to third.2–1
- 3McGonigle hit sacrifice fly to left, Lee scored, Keith to second.1–1
- 1Cruz singled to left, Lowe scored, Reynolds to second.0–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Pirates 60%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 55–60% have won 55.5% of 2,596 graded games.
- Market
- PIT 60%
- ML DET +143 / PIT -154
- Pre-line forecast
- PIT 58%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- PIT 48%
- Ratings vs. market
- −11.4 pts
- PIT: Elo 48.2%, market 59.6%
- Fair odds
- PIT -147
- DET +147 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- DET 3.8 – 4.7 PIT
- 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 | DET | PIT | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1519 | 1496 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | −2 | −10 | DET: Jackson Jobe: team allows 0.09 more runs than with its usual starter (≈7 weighted starts) · PIT: Paul Skenes: team allows 0.50 more runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | DET +13 Elo | DET 51.8% | |
| Market-implied ratings | PIT 59.7% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | PIT 58.0% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | PIT 59.6% | 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.
| DET | Stat | PIT |
|---|---|---|
| 12th of 304.6 | Runs scored | 5.03rd of 30 |
| 6th of 303.9 | Runs allowed | 4.824th of 30 |
| 7th of 30+0.7 | Margin | +0.210th of 30 |
| 13th of 305–5 | Last 10 | 5–513th of 30 |
| 17th of 3029–34 | Road vs home | 33–3218th of 30 |
| 26th of 301497 | Opponent Elo | 15055th of 30 |
| 10th of 301519 | Elo rating | 149616th 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 |  DET |  PIT |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 60–66 | 57–71 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 30–46 | 26–43 |
| Underdog | 30–20 | 31–28 |
| Overs–unders | 56–64–6 | 71–53–4 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 5–4–1 | 6–3–1 |
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
DET 7–9 PIT in their last 16 meetings; the forecast called 11 of 16.