Get Bets and Betting Tips for Tigers vs Cardinals – 5/20/2025

Detroit Tigers

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St. Louis Cardinals

On May 20, 2025, the St. Louis Cardinals will host the Detroit Tigers at Busch Stadium in a critical interleague matchup. The Tigers enter this game riding high with a solid 31-17 record, while the Cardinals stand at 27-21. Both teams are looking to capitalize on their current form; however, the Cardinals are underdogs in this contest, given their struggles lately.

In their previous game, the Cardinals fell short against the Tigers, who boast a potent lineup that ranks 5th in MLB. St. Louis ranks 8th in offensive production but has shown inconsistencies, particularly in the power department, where they rank just 19th in home runs. The Cardinals’ best hitter has been performing well recently, hitting .500 with 6 hits and 5 RBIs over the last week.

On the mound, St. Louis will send out Erick Fedde, who has a Win/Loss record of 3-3 and a respectable ERA of 3.44 this season. However, his xFIP of 5.15 suggests that he may be due for a regression. Fedde’s low strikeout rate (14.8 K%) could be a concern against a Tigers lineup that has the 5th most strikeouts in MLB, potentially giving him a slight edge in this matchup.

Opposing him is Tarik Skubal, the top-ranked pitcher in baseball according to advanced metrics. Skubal has been exceptional with a 2.67 ERA and a stellar FIP of 2.12, indicating he might be even better than his numbers suggest. His ability to limit runs and strike out batters will be crucial for Detroit.

With the Cardinals projected to struggle against an elite pitcher and the current odds reflecting a low implied team total of 3.25 runs, a close game is expected. The total for this matchup sits at 7.5 runs, indicating a potential struggle for scoring, making this a game to watch for savvy bettors.

Detroit Tigers Insights

• Tarik Skubal – Over/Under 7.5 Strikeouts (+130/-170)
  Out of all starting pitchers, Tarik Skubal’s fastball velocity of 97 mph grades out in the 98th percentile this year.
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.
• Zach McKinstry – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-205/+155)
  Zach McKinstry has primarily hit in the back-half of the batting order this season (55% of the time), but he is penciled in 3rd on the lineup card today.
  Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
• Tarik Skubal – Over/Under 7.5 Strikeouts (+130/-170)
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), Jake Rogers (the Tigers’s expected catcher today) grades out as an elite pitch framer.
  Explain: Pitch framing is a catcher’s ability to make a ball look like a strike to the umpire, “stealing” strikes for his pitcher. This leads to more positive outcomes (like strikeouts) and fewer negative ones (like walks or earned runs).

St. Louis Cardinals Insights

• St. Louis Cardinals – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (+160)
  Erick Fedde is an extreme flyball pitcher (34.5% FB% per the leading projection system, THE BAT) and should be helped pitching in the #28 HR venue among all stadiums today.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• Victor Scott II – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (+100/-130)
  Victor Scott II has been cold recently, with his seasonal exit velocity of 86.6-mph dropping to 78.5-mph in the past week.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• St. Louis Cardinals – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen profiles as the 9th-worst out of all the teams in Major League Baseball.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.

Betting Trends

• St. Louis Cardinals – Moneyline (+150)
  The St. Louis Cardinals have hit the Moneyline in 12 of their last 14 games (+11.25 Units / 70% ROI)
• Detroit Tigers – Over/Under 4.5 Team Total (+100/-130)
  The Detroit Tigers have hit the Team Total Over in 26 of their last 39 games (+10.95 Units / 23% ROI)
• Trey Sweeney – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-185/+145)
  Trey Sweeney has hit the Total Bases Over in 11 of his last 15 games (+6.85 Units / 33% ROI)