MLB Betting Tips: Cy Skubal to lead Tigers past Pirates

Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal is the big attraction in Wednesday’s Major League Baseball schedule as the Detroit Tigers ace goes to the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

And the 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner makes the Tigers a great proposition as we look at my MLB Betting Tips for Wednesday.

Today’s MLB Odds

Tigers -2.5 vs Pirates @ 13/10

Skubal has been absolutely devastating this season. And it’s no great surprise. He finished 2024 with an 18-4 record, 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts, and in ’25 he’s in contention to win all three categories again.

He takes his record of 7-2 (tied-sixth in AL), 1.99 (fourth) and 111 strikeouts (second) into Wednesday night’s clash with the Pirates at Comerica Park and he’s arguably getting better.

The 28-year-old has put together a 12-start stretch in which he has struck out 101 and walked just five, which the Detroit Free Press reports is the best K/BB ratio over a dozen starts since 1875.

Skubal goes up against Andrew Heaney at 18:40 local, 23:40 BST. What do we say for the Pirates starter (3-5, 3.33)? Maybe we just say ‘good luck’ and leave it there.

Nationals vs Rockies: Over 10.5 Total Runs @ 13/10

If you’re not inclined to watch Skubal’s pitching clinic in action, perhaps flick your MLB.TV dial to Nationals Park, where Washington host the Colorado Rockies at 18:45 local, 23:45 BST.

Runs aplenty ought to be the order of the day in the nation’s capital. I mean, just look at some of the stats…

German Marquez starts for the Rockies, with his 2-8 record and 6.62 ERA saying a lot about where he and his 16-57 team have been at for much of the season.

And the Nationals’ Mitchell Parker comes into this matchup with a 4-7, 4.84 and is 0-4, 6.16 in his last four starts.

So these two starters might not exactly go long if the two offences are anywhere near the top of their form, and what comes behind them isn’t much better.

Indeed, the Nationals (29th) and Rockies (26th) rank among the worst five teams in the Major Leagues for bullpen ERA, meaning the 13/10 about 11 or more runs being racked up against two failing pitching staffs looks pretty compelling.

You can read all our latest MLB Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.