Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros Prediction & Match Preview

The Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers play their third game in a four-game series this Saturday at Minute Maid Park. The Tigers head to Houston with a very poor 8-15 record. The team has lost eight out of its last 10 games.

The Houston Astros, on the other hand, have started the season with a record of 14-11 after starting 6-8. With the two teams trending in different directions, who will win Saturday's contest?

Match Details

Fixture: Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros | MLB Regular Season 2022

Date & Time: Saturday, May 7, 4:05 p.m. EDT

Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

Detroit Tigers Team Preview

The Detroit Tigers are off to a horrible start to their 2022 season as they come into the series against the Houston Astros with a record of 8-15. The offense for the Tigers has been among the worst in all of baseball so far this season.

The Tigers' pitching staff ERA of 3.49 (11th in baseball) is respectable and is giving them a chance to win games. The offense has been the Achilles' heel of the team as they are only averaging 3.13 runs per game, which ranks 28th out of 30 teams. The Tigers will need their offense to come to life this weekend if they want any chance at winning this game.

Key Player: Eduardo Rodiguez

Eduardo Rodriguez pitches for the Tigers at Dodger Stadium last week.

Eduardo Rodriguez gets the start for the Tigers in this game and is a key player for the team. This season, Rodriguez has a 0-2 record with a 5.33 ERA. If the Tigers want any chance of winning this one, they will need a solid outing from the southpaw.

Detroit Tigers Predicted Lineup

The Detroit Tigers predicted lineup can be seen below.

1	Robbie Grossman, LF
2	Javier Baez, SS
3	Miguel Cabrera, DH
4	Austin Meadows, RF
5	Jonathan Schoop, 2B
6	Spencer Torkelson, 1B
7	Jeimer Candelario, 3B
8	Eric Haase, C
9	Derek Hill, CF

Akil Baddoo has struggled to start 2022 as he is batting just .146 on the season after a solid rookie year in 2021. Baddoo is a key player for the Tigers going forward. Seeing him develop this season will be critical for the future of the team.

Austin Meadows has gotten off to a solid start to his Detroit Tigers career despite hitting only one home run so far. Meadows is currently batting .299 with 11 RBIs. Meadows will be a player to watch as he faces a tough matchup against left-hander Framber Valdez.

Houston Astros Team Preview

The Astros gather together during a game against the Seattle Mariners.

The Houston Astros are off to another solid start to their season. The team has made the postseason in each of the past five seasons and looks well on their way to another appearance.

Yordan Alvarez is off to a great start in 2022. His eight home runs this season have led the team and most of his homers have been absolutely demolished.

"Home run No. 8 on the season for Yordan Alvarez goes a looong way..."-@ FOX Sports: MLB

Starting pitcher and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander is back and better than ever after missing the past two seasons due to injury. The 39-year-old has a record of 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA.

Key Player: Framber Valdez

Framber Valdez pitches during a Houston Astros v Toronto Blue Jays game.

Framber Valdez gets the start for the home team and is Saturday's key player. Valdez is 1-2 with a 3.42 ERA so far this season.

Houston Astros Predicted Lineup

The Astros predicted lineup for Saturday can be seen below.

1	Jose Altuve, 2B
2	Michael Brantley, LF
3	Alex Bregman, 3B
4	Yordan Alvarez, DH
5	Yuli Gurriel, 1B
6	Kyle Tucker, RF
7	Chas McCormick, CF
8	Jeremy Pena, SS
9	Martin Maldonado, C

Jose Altuve is back from the IL and is pivotal to the Houston Astros lineup. Altuve is batting just .182 with two home runs so far.

Tigers vs. Astros Match Prediction

This game will be an interesting matchup as the two teams are trending in different directions. The Astros being at home will be the ultimate deciding factor in this one. Final score: Astros 6, Tigers 2.