Cubs vs Tigers Picks Today | MLB Odds, Prediction for Monday, August 21

The first installment of this three-game interleague series gets underway Monday evening as the AL Central's Detroit Tigers host the NL Central's Chicago Cubs.

These are important games for each club as both attempt to climb the divisional standings with just over a month remaining in the season.

Will Detroit defend its home diamond, or can Chicago take care of business as short road favorites?

Here's a look at the odds and my Cubs vs. Tigers betting pick and predicition.

The second half of the season has gone much more smoothly for the Cubs as they continue to push towards the Milwaukee Brewers for the divisional lead. Chicago's hitting has paved the way for this recent success as it now ranks in the Top 10 of the league in runs scored per game, hits per game, BA, SLG and OPS.

Also strong at avoiding the strikeout, the Cubs rank in the top half of the league in K% when facing right-handed pitching since the beginning of June. Looking at Monday's projected starting lineup, five of the nine hitters possess a K% south of 21% this year.

Opposing starting pitchers have recorded four strikeouts or fewer in five of the past eight games against Chicago. This success in avoiding the strikeout is likely to continue against right-hander Alex Faedo.

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It has been a rocky sophomore campaign for Faedo, who is 2-4 with a 5.16 ERA through nine starts. The results have been extremely volatile since getting called back up in July after spending a month in the minors.

Over the four starts since returning to the rotation, the right-hander has posted two scoreless outings but has also surrendered a total of 10 runs over the other two starts. Regardless of which side of Faedo we get in this matchup, he should still be a good fade candidate in the strikeout department.

Currently, he ranks in the 46th percentile or lower in K%, Whiff% and chase rate. You can find his strikeout prop at 4.5 across the board, a total Faedo has failed to surpass in three of his past five starts.

Faedo's strikeout woes are likely to continue against the Cubs. Chicago has relied on a very solid and well-rounded lineup to turn its season around, going 21-9 over the past 30 games.

For what it's worth, which is not a whole lot, Jeimer Candelario is the only hitter on this team to face Faedo before today. Candelario is 1-2 with a homer and zero strikeouts against the right-hander.

Look for Faedo to stay under his strikeout prop in this Monday ballgame in Detroit.