Charlie Cummings previews Saturday’s MLB matchup between the Miami Marlins and the Detroit Tigers and provides his best pick.

If I told you before the season that the Tigers were 8-6 and the Marlins 5-9, you’d say, “Yep, that makes all the sense in the world”. But, even after a win on Friday night, it’s the Tigers trying to scrape by while the Marlins are a pleasant surprise. Will that continue in Saturday’s game? Or will the Tigers look like the kings of the AL Central we are accustomed to over the past few years?

First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. ET. The Tigers are -143 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. A Marlins upset is priced at +119. The game total is set at O/U 7.5 runs.

Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Marlins-Tigers game.

Marlins vs. Tigers Preview

First things first, let’s get to know these starting pitchers.

Janson Junk takes the mound for the Marlins in this one. A bit of a journeyman, Junk played with four different teams in the first five years. Last season with Miami was far and away the most he’s pitched at the big league level; after throwing 40 innings in his first three major league seasons, Junk got 110 innings with the Marlins last year. It was a bit of a mixed bag: he displayed elite command (2.9% walk rate) and a good pitch mix, but gave up far too much hard contact. It all evened out to a 4.17 ERA; not bad when you consider his low strikeout rate.

With Junk on the mound, you’re seeing a four-seam fastball or a slider 56% of the time. He also mixes in a sweeper, curveball, and changeup; that’s a lot of diversity in his off-speed mix. Junk is comfortable throwing any pitch in any count, and he’s missing a fair amount of barrels in the young season. If he can keep that up while continuing to avoid self-inflicted mistakes, it could be a solid season for the 30-year-old.

Casey Mize takes the mound opposite Junk. It is a fun comparison to see a former No. 1 overall pick in Mize go up against a player taken 662nd in his draft year. Mize rebounded well from injury last year, getting off to a scorching start that netted him his first All-Star appearance. However, he did fade down the stretch, a sign that his arm still has some building to do.

Mize is largely a three-pitch guy: four-seam fastball, split-finger fastball, and slider. He’s not overly reliant on velocity to get outs; instead, he leans on his break and command to get outs. Mize also mixes in a slurve and a sinker just to keep hitters on their toes. So far, the results haven’t been great, but there will be bumps as he continues to put distance between himself and his injuries.

Miami’s lineup has been a huge surprise to start the season, posting a top-five OPS+ mark as a team. Xavier Edwards has been a monster of a table setter, batting .384 with an OPS over 1.000. Liam Hicks has been a massive bat behind the plate, and forms a potent tandem with Agustin Ramirez. Rookie Owen Caissie, the headline return in the Edward Cabrera deal, has hit the ground running with an OPS right at 1.000. If Jakob Marsee can pick it up at the top of the order, that would fight the inevitable regression coming for this lineup, and keep their head above water.

Detroit’s lineup has been solid despite some slow starts from veterans. Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene, and Spencer Torkelson are all OPSing .700 or below. But it’s the younger guys, like Colt Keith and electric rookie Kevin McGonigle, picking up the slack, biding their time until the veterans get on track. When this lineup is going, they have solid bats 1-9 and can cause major issues for opposing pitchers.

Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to take this one home?

Marlins vs. Tigers Pick, Best Bet

Despite the 2-0 showing on Friday night, I believe that both of these teams can pile up the runs in a hurry. The low total here surprised me; I’m expecting a better performance from both teams. The runs will come in this midday Detroit matinee.

Best Bet: Over 7.5 Total Runs (-102)