Tigers vs. Astros prediction and odds for Monday, April 3 (Trust the pitching)

The reigning World Series champions host a team hoping to come out of its extended rebuild looking like Houston does in the Detroit Tigers.

The Astros split its opening series against the White Sox, but now gets to face an easier opponent in the Tigers, who got swept to open its season against the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.

Houston will start Hunter Brown, who got some time in 2022 but will look to move from the team's prized prospect to a focal point of the rotation in another pursuit of a World Series.

Here are the odds for the series opener:

Tigers vs. Astros odds, run line and total

Tigers vs. Astros prediction and pick

Brown only made two starts with the Astros last season, but now begins the season at the back end of the big league rotation. In 14 starts last season In AAA, Brown posted a 2.55 ERA. Factor in that he allowed two earned runs in 15 innings with the Astros and he already seems to be a quality arm.

He'll get a soft landing spot against the Tigers, who had the second lowest on-base percentage in baseball last season and seem set to struggle at the plate once again, scoring just three runs across three games against the Rays over the weekend.

The Tigers will look to make this a low scoring affair with veteran left hander Matt Boyd. After spending a year with the Mariners, he is back with Detroit, where he spent the six prior seasons. Boyd thrives on his control and ability to generate soft contact.

He will need to be careful against an Astros team that was top 10 in on-base percentage last season against left handed pitching, but I do think with the likes of Jose Altuve out of the lineup the damage can be minimal.

It's a steep price to play the Astros to win, but I do like the under given the Tigers struggles at the plate.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.