Midwestern clubs wrap their three-game series Thursday afternoon, as the Detroit Tigers host the Milwaukee Brewers for a rubber match at Comerica Park.

The Brewers (13–10, 4th NL Central) have won five of their last seven games, including a 12–4 blowout of Detroit in the series opener. The Tigers (13–12, 2nd AL Central) have taken nine of their last 12, capped by Wednesday’s 5–2 win over Milwaukee.

Looking at the pitching probables, we’ve got struggling Brewers youngster Brandon Sproat taking on reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. ET. Detroit enters as a 1.5-run home favorite with -219 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Milwaukee sits as a +179 underdog, with the total set at O/U seven runs.

Brewers vs. Tigers Preview

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have held their ground despite the absences of several key contributors. Even without Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich, the reigning regular-season champs continue to thrive behind a small-ball approach. The club ranks in MLB’s top ten for wOBA (8th), wRC+ (7th), and walk rate (2nd), while also pacing the majors with 33 stolen bases.

Although some of Milwaukee’s bullpen struggles can be traced to poor batted-ball luck, the starting rotation has largely been a mixed bag. That instability has been most evident in young right-hander Brandon Sproat. The former Mets prospect has gotten crushed through his first four outings (two starts), posting a 6.88 ERA (5.50 xERA) and a 1.71 WHIP with 16 strikeouts. While he’s coming off his best performance — 6.2 innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays — Sproat is still searching for consistency in the majors.

Detroit Tigers

Detroit has finally found its stride after a sluggish start, winning nine of its last 12 games following Wednesday’s win over the Brewers. While the Tigers have struggled to flex their power early on, they still rank near the middle of the pack in runs scored (15th) and wOBA (14th). The club has been especially hot at Comerica Park — their 131 wRC+ at home being the top mark in MLB.

And on Thursday, the Tigers will look to keep the momentum rolling when they hand the ball to ace Tarik Skubal. The flamethrowing southpaw — in pursuit of his third consecutive AL Cy Young Award — has pitched to the tune of a 2.08 ERA (3.37 xERA) with a  0.96 WHIP and 33 strikeouts through his first five starts. Most recently, he held the Red Sox to one run over six innings while racking up 10 strikeouts.

Brewers vs. Tigers Pick, Best Bet

Sometimes, a game boils down to its pitching matchup. And when a struggling youngster gets pitted against arguably the sport’s most formidable ace, it’s typically wise to back the latter.

Best Bet: Detroit Tigers -1.5 Runs (+109)