Chicago Cubs vs. Detroit Tigers Free MLB Pick, 8–24–2020
Free MLB Pick by Austin Clark of PrecisionPicks.com
Chicago Cubs vs. Detroit Tigers
Money Line Odds: Cubs -145, Tigers +125
Run Line Odds: Cubs -1.5, Tigers +1.5
Total Odds: O/U 9.5
Game Time: Monday, August 24, 2020, 7:10 PM EST
The Chicago Cubs (17–10) will hit the road to Comerica Park to take on the Detroit Tigers (11–15) on Monday for a three-game series. The Cubs bounced back with a win vs. the White Sox on Sunday to avoid a series sweep, while the Tigers picked up a victory and a series win over the Cleveland Indians.
Starting Pitchers
Cubs: Alec Mills RH (2–2, 4.76 ERA)
Tigers: Casey Mize RHP (0–0, 6.23 ERA)
The Chicago Cubs will try to build off of a 2–1 win over the rival White Sox in Sunday’s series finale. Kyle Schwarber went 2 for 4 with a double and the two-run home run that made up all of the Cubs’ scoring as a team in the winning effort. Chicago bulldozed their way to a 13–3 start on the season but has struggled of late with several one-run losses and a compressed schedule due to a pair of doubleheaders with the Cardinals. Chicago is 4–7 in its last 11 games and 7–8 in its past 15. Additionally, they’ve only outscored their opponents by four runs — the lowest margin of any team with a winning record.
Casey Mize, the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, is getting the call for his second major league start in this contest for the Tigers. In his MLB debut vs. the White Sox, Mize threw 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in a game the Tigers dropped by a 5–3 score. Offensively, Jonathan Schoop has been on a tremendous roll of the past seven games, slashing .370/.414/.630 with two home runs during that stretch. The Tigers are 4–11 in their last 15 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record.
Cubs are 7–1 L8 Monday games
Cubs are 5–1 in their last 6 games as a road favorite
Cubs are 5–2 in their last 7 interleague road games
Tigers are 2–12 in their last 14 interleague home games
Tigers are 1–5 in their last 6 interleague home games vs. a team with a winning record
While the Tigers may not have a great storyline in 2020, Casey Mize is an intriguing prospect. However, Mize must pitch a close to perfect game vs the Cubs who have shown they can get hot at any moment. Alec Mills was a major reason the Cubs got off to a solid start this season after starting the season 2–0. Mills aims to get back in the win column vs the Tigers who have struggled to hit consistently. I’m backing the Cubs -145 and expect the offense to get after rookie Casey Mize.
Cubs vs. Tigers ML Pick — Chicago Cubs -145
