Tigers vs Athletics Expert Picks and Betting Guide – 8/25/2025

Detroit Tigers

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Athletics

The Oakland Athletics will host the Detroit Tigers on August 25, 2025, at Sutter Health Park, marking the first game of their series. Currently, the Athletics sit at 60-72, reflecting a disappointing season, while the Tigers boast a strong 78-54 record, positioning them well in the playoff race.

In their last outing, the Tigers were dominant, securing a victory thanks in part to their ace, Tarik Skubal, who has been exceptional this season with an impressive 2.32 ERA and a stellar 11-3 win/loss record. Skubal, ranked 1st among MLB starting pitchers, is projected to continue his strong performance, averaging 5.9 innings pitched and allowing just 2.1 earned runs today.

Conversely, Oakland’s J.T. Ginn, despite being ranked 62nd among starting pitchers, has had a challenging year, currently holding a 4.95 ERA and a 2-5 record. Though Ginn’s 3.43 xFIP suggests he may have been unlucky, he still faces an uphill battle against a potent Detroit offense that ranks 10th in the league. The projections indicate Ginn will pitch around 5.1 innings, allowing approximately 2.6 earned runs, but he may struggle with a high average of 5.1 hits allowed and 1.5 walks.

While the Athletics’ offense ranks 7th in MLB and has shown potential, their low implied team total of 3.72 runs reflects skepticism about their ability to capitalize against elite pitching. The Tigers, meanwhile, have a high implied team total of 5.28 runs, underscoring their offensive strength. As the Athletics look to defy the odds, they will need a standout performance from Ginn to keep this matchup competitive.

Detroit Tigers Insights

• Tarik Skubal – Over/Under 8.5 Strikeouts (+115/-145)
  Tarik Skubal has a reverse platoon split and should be aided by facing 7 opposite-handed bats in this matchup.
  Explain: A pitcher with a reverse platoon split will perform better against opposite-handed hitters (i.e. a right-handed pitcher will be better against a left-handed hitter). Holding this advantage against several hitters can have a huge impact on whether a pitcher will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• Dillon Dingler – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+125/-165)
  Dillon Dingler has been hot of late, raising his seasonal exit velocity of 89.6-mph to 97.9-mph over the past 7 days.
  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.
• The Detroit Tigers have 4 bats in their projected lineup today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (according to the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Trey Sweeney, Dillon Dingler, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene).
  Explain: Teams that have multiple high-strikeout hitters will make it much easier for the opposing pitcher to record strikeouts

Athletics Insights

• Athletics – Moneyline (+185)
  The Athletics infield defense grades out as the strongest among all the teams playing today.
  Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing hits and runs.
• Jacob Wilson – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+130/-170)
  The leading projection system (THE BAT X) estimates Jacob Wilson’s true offensive ability to be a .304, indicating that he has been very fortunate this year given the .046 deviation between that mark and his actual .350 wOBA.
  Explain: Players that are overperforming should be expected to play worse going forward, which can create value on prop Unders if the lines are too heavily weighing the lucky, to-date overperformance.
• Athletics – 2H Moneyline
  The Athletics bullpen grades out as the worst in Major League Baseball, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  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

• Athletics – Run Line +1.5 (+120)
  The Athletics have hit the Run Line in 30 of their last 47 games (+11.00 Units / 17% ROI)
• Detroit Tigers – Moneyline (-220)
  The Detroit Tigers have hit the Moneyline in 77 of their last 128 games (+10.10 Units / 5% ROI)
• Spencer Torkelson – Over/Under 0.5 Walks (+130/-170)
  Spencer Torkelson has hit the Walks Over in 9 of his last 15 games (+8.80 Units / 59% ROI)