Keagan Smith gives you a preview, prediction and pick for today’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday’s MLB slate.

The opening days of the 2026 MLB season have been an absolute blast to watch, and as we roll into the second week of action on the diamond, there are plenty of games for fans and bettors alike to choose from.

Last night, the Detroit Tigers (2-2) dropped an ugly one to the Arizona Diamondbacks (1-3) in a high-scoring, 9-6 loss. This series continues out in the desert on Tuesday as these sides go head-to-head once again.

Here’s a betting prediction and pick for tonight’s Tigers vs. Diamondbacks matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Tigers vs. Diamondbacks prediction, preview

Both sides’ slash lines look a little bit better after last night’s contest, but neither look all that great yet. The Tigers have a .626 OPS with a .221/.325/.301 line, ranking third-to-last in ISO at .081 and homering only once in their first four games. They’re also fourth worst in K% at 29.3% as they utilize a swing-happy approach, but it’s not quite working yet. The really interesting aspect here is that their .326 BABIP sits fifth in the MLB, but they’ve scored only 19 runs to show for it. Their arms do have a 3.44 ERA with 1.35 WHIP, but they’re also near the bottom of the sport in K% at only 18.8%. The conclusion from these numbers? It’s a mixed bag to start the season for Detroit.

The Diamondbacks won their first game of the season on Monday after being swept in the opening series. A .684 OPS is respectable for the moment, though the OBP in their .229/.287/.397 slash line isn’t the most comforting. They do, however, boast a .168 ISO with four home runs. Another positive is that the D-Backs are on the lower end of the spectrum in K% at the dish given a 21.0% mark, too. Here’s the bad part. The Arizona pitching staff has looked horrendous through its first few games. We’re talking about a 5.73 ERA with a 62.5% LOB%, plus a 4.97 FIP. The results haven’t been good at all as the Diamondbacks give up plenty of runs. That may not change tonight, either.

The Tigers hand the ball to Casey Mize, who produced a 3.87 ERA and 1.27 WHIP last season with 139 Ks in 149 IP. The righty improved on his 2024 and could be positioned to take another step forward this year, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.

The Diamondbacks are set to start Brandon Pfaadt, a righty who recorded a 5.25 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 147 punchouts in 176.2 IP during 2025. He was elite at limiting walks, but didn’t do much else well and gave up plenty of hard hits with high exit velocity, also generating lots of barrels.

Tigers vs. Diamondbacks pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Diamondbacks as -115 Moneyline favorites at home this evening, while the Tigers hold -105 odds to win outright. The run total sits at an even nine.

Pfaadt was flat-out bad last season and earned something of a reputation for being a pitcher batters look forward to facing. His 90.8 MPH average exit velocity was in the bottom 10% of pitchers and he had a .285 xBA and .494 xSLG that both ranked in the bottom 5% of hurlers, too. I see that and feel confident the Tigers’ hitters can take advantage of this matchup and drive balls into the gaps in the defense. I expect a handful of XBH tonight in Arizona.