This has been a bit of an odd start to the current MLB season, as only a handful of teams appear to be in full stride right now. The defending champion Chicago Cubs appear to be nursing a World Series hangover, while over in the American League, only 7 of the 15 teams there have a record above .500. One team that is going well in the early part of the season is the Baltimore Orioles, as they are playing a seemingly endless game of leap frog with the New York Yankees atop the AL East. It’s early days yet, but this is shaping up to be a great battle this season. The Orioles are currently in Detroit to face the Tigers, with that 3-game series set to come to a close on Thursday afternoon. The Tigers are still very much in the hunt in the very competitive AL Central, where just 4.5 games separate top from bottom. A good run from the Tiger could see them move into a position of power in that division. Find the latest MLB betting odds here.

In Depth Analysis On The 2017 MLB Expert Picks For Orioles At Tigers

When: Thursday, May 18 at 1:10 PM EST Where: Comerica Park, Detroit Starting Pitchers: Dylan Bundy Vs Jordan Zimmermann TV: MASN 2, FS-D Radio: 105.7 The Fan, Orioles Radio Network, Radio 97.1 The Ticket Live Stream: MLB.TV MLB Odds: Baltimore Orioles Moneyline -115    

Why bet on the Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles (23-14) are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and find themselves sitting a half game back of the Yankees for the lead in the AL East. While this is a good start for Baltimore, it is far from perfect, especially on the road, where they are currently 10-11. They lost the first 4 games of this road trip, which included a sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals, before finally getting off the mark with a 13-11 win in the opening game of this series versus the Tigers. The Orioles are not really shining on offense or defense so far, and are middle of the pack in all the major stats, which must be a little concerning. Dylan Bundy (5-1, 2.26 ERA) has been excellent this season, and will get the start on Thursday.

Why bet on the Detroit Tigers

The AL Central is proving to be a tough division to figure out this season, as the Tigers are just 2 games out of first despite having an 18-19 record. You still get the feeling that the Indians will wake up and pull away at some point, so it’s important that the Tigers get some wins in now while they are still very much in the hunt. Getting wins is easier said than done, though, and Detroit are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, and have now lost 2 in a row. They do have a positive home record, but only just, sitting at 9-8. Jordan Zimmermann (3-2, 6.28 ERA) will start for the Tigers.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Baltimore have not been particularly great on the road, but they have the chance to finish off this short trip with a series win versus the Tigers. They should make that happen with Dylan Bundy on the mound.

Baltimore Orioles 7 Detroit Tigers 3