The MLB lines list the Tigers as favorites by the slimmest of margins at -115 while the Indians are at -105. The total is 9.5.

The Detroit Tigers (16-13, 7-10 away) are currently in second place in the AL Central but have lost a little ground on division-leading Minnesota after being swept by them earlier in the week. They are trying to avoid their first four-game losing streak of the season.

Detroit has hit the ball very well this season, leading the league with a .280 team batting average. Two major contributors to their strong batting average are first basemen Miguel Cabrera (.372) and centerfielder Austin Jackson (.369), who rank first and second in batting average in the AL. Rookie catcher Alex Avila has stepped up in place of injured starter Gerald Laird, batting .556 over the past four games with two homers on Wednesday.

The Cleveland Indians were swept earlier in the week at home by the Toronto Blue Jays. Combined with a loss in the final game of the previous series, Cleveland has now lost four straight home games. They will try to avoid their second five-game losing streak of the season Friday night.

The Indians offense has struggled to produce hits and power numbers. They are 11th in the AL in batting average and have the second-lowest team OPS. Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who has been one of the few productive offensive players for the Indians, has struggled over their most recent losing streak, batting 4-16 over the last four games (bringing his season average down from .318 to .307).

Jeremy Bonderman (1-1, 5.74 ERA) will start for the Tigers. He will look for his first win since his first start of the season against the Indians on April 10. He’s 4-1 with a .371 ERA in his last seven starts against the Indians.

Cleveland counters by starting David Huff (1-4, 4.60 ERA). He will hope for better run support – his run support average of 2.59 is among the lowest in the AL. He started against the Tigers earlier in the season on April 9 and gave up four runs and six hits in a 5-2 loss. Fortunately for left-handed Huff, the Tigers are hitting .242 against lefthanders (well below their league-leading overall average of .280).

Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians – MLB Betting Preview by MLB Baseball Previews

The MLB lines list the White Sox as favorites at  -180 and the Blue Jays at +160 with an over/under of 8.5.

The Chicago White Sox (12-16, 8-7 home) have had issues all year with their starting pitching. Their rotation has a collective 5.12 ERA which is right near the bottom of the AL. They are also dead last in the league with a .199 batting average with runners in scoring position.

On the other hand, Chicago is playing very well at home lately. They have won five of their last six home games and are coming off of a dominant 9-2 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night.

The Toronto Blue Jays shouldn’t be intimidated by the stellar home play of the White Sox. The Blue Jays are a strong 9-3 on the road this season (16-13 away). They are coming off of a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians which culminated in a 5-4 win Wednesday night that came courtesy of three runs scored with one out left in the ninth inning.

John Danks (3-0, 1.85 ERA) has been the sole bright spot for the White Sox rotation this year. He has yet to lose a game this season and his 1.85 ERA is good enough for fourth best in the AL. His best start of the season came against Toronto earlier in the season, in which he allowed one run and two hits in seven innings. He is 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA in four starts against the Blue Jays.

Dana Eveland (2-1, 4.76 ERA) will take the mound for Toronto. The right hander began the season well, starting the season with two wins in his first two starts and giving up 5 runs over his first three. He has struggled as of late, however, giving up 11 runs in his last two starts. This is his second start against the White Sox this season. He gave up two runs in six innings of a 7-3 win on April 15. He is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA against the White Sox.

Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox – MLB Betting Preview by MLB Baseball Previews