The Detroit Tigers (41-23) host the Chicago Cubs (39-23) on Friday, June 6, 2025. First pitch from Comerica Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on Apple TV+.
Two division leaders will kick off an exciting MLB interleague series on Friday night when the Cubs open up a three-game set versus the Tigers. Despite holding a record of 8-2 over their past 10 games, the Cubs are heavy underdogs in the series opener as they will be sending Ben Brown (5.72 ERA, 56 2/3 IP) to the mound to take on AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal (2.26 ERA, 47 2/3 IP).
Find my Cubs vs Tigers prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, the latest MLB lines and more.
Chicago Cubs vs Detroit Tigers Predictions, Pick
- Cubs vs Tigers pick: Cubs Moneyline +165 (Bet365, Play to +155)
My Cubs vs Tigers best bet is the Chicago Cubs moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cubs vs Tigers Odds, Lines
| Cubs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -152 | 7 -106o / -115u | +150 |
| Tigers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +123 | 7 -106o / -115u | -200 |
Cubs vs Tigers Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Ben Brown (CHC) | Stat | LHP Tarik Skubal (DET) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-3 | W-L | 5-2 |
| 1.3 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 3.0 |
| 5.72/4.04 | ERA /xERA | 2.26/2.32 |
| 3.11/3.23 | FIP / xFIP | 1.89/2.15 |
| 1.46 | WHIP | 0.79 |
| 20.5% | K-BB% | 32.3% |
| 43.1% | GB% | 40.0% |
| 98 | Stuff+ | 119 |
| 99 | Location+ | 111 |
Nick Martin’s Cubs vs Tigers Preview, Prediction
Cubs Betting Preview: Brown's Irregular Season
Brown had a solid rookie campaign in 2024, pitching to a 3.58 ERA across 55 1/3 innings, but has failed to achieve the same level of success this season with a 5.72 ERA throughout 11 appearances. He's had a fairly boom-or-bust start to the campaign, as he's had some excellent showings mixed in around some dreadful outings.
Brown is coming off a dominant performance versus the Cincinnati Reds, in which he allowed zero earned runs and only one hit across six innings and recorded nine strikeouts. In his two starts prior to that outing, however, he allowed 14 earned runs across just nine innings.
His recent underlying results have been quite respectable, though, and he is likely still a better pitcher than his ERA suggests. Over his past six starts, Brown holds an xFIP of 2.56 and a K-BB% of 27.3. His pitch metrics from those starts have also been good, with a Stuff+ rating of 101 and a Pitching+ rating of 103.
Chicago's bullpen has been a strength this season, pitching to a 3.76 ERA overall and a 3.40 ERA over the past 30 days.
The Cubs' offense has improved significantly year-over-year. Kyle Tucker has come as advertised and young talents such as Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch have put up numbers results at the plate. The Cubs rank third in baseball with a wRC+ of 120 and have remained in strong form with a wRC+ of 117 over the past two weeks.
Chicago has been effective versus left-handed pitching, as it holds a fifth-ranked wRC+ of 117 and ranks fifth in BB/K ratio. Catcher Miguel Amaya is the only position player on the Injured List, but Carson Kelly has slugged .528 this season, and slugged .419 versus lefties in 2024.
Tigers Betting Preview: Skubal Dominant
Skubal is well on his way to becoming the first AL pitcher to earn back-to-back Cy Young Awards since Pedro Martinez went back-to-back in 1999 and 2000.
Skubal enters this matchup with a 2.26 ERA, a 2.32 xERA and a 2.15 xFIP. His pitch metrics are improved compared to his fantastic 2024 campaign, as he has pitched to a Stuff+ rating of 119 and a Pitching+ rating of 128 across his first 12 starts.
The Tigers rank ninth in wRC+ with a rating of 109, despite ranking 21st in BB/K ratio and 20th in hard-hit rate. They also rank 11th in xwOBA, but sixth in OPS with runners on, which has greatly raised their offensive effectiveness. They rank 11th in wRC+ versus right-handed pitching and have struck out at the third-highest rate in the league versus righties.
Cubs vs Tigers Prediction, Betting Analysis
It's a bet that will lose more often than it will win, but at +165 there looks to be value in backing the Cubs to steal a win against Skubal in this matchup. They have been one of the best offensive teams in the league versus lefties and should continue to be the better offensive side the rest of the way based on their lineup composition and a more convincing underlying portfolio.
Brown has had a very inconsistent start to the season, but appears to be a much better starter than his ERA suggests, and given the prices on this game, this looks like a good spot to try and buy low on Brown as a starter.
Pick: Cubs Moneyline +165 (Bet365, Play to +155)
Moneyline
As outlined, backing the Cubs to win this game at +165 is my favorite play from this matchup.
Run Line (Spread)
Backing the Cubs to cover the run line at -140 also looks to provide value, and is another good option in what could be a tight-knit affair.
Over/Under
A low total of 7 looks fair in this matchup, as Brown has the potential to achieve much better results moving forward, while Skubal is, without question, the AL's best starter right now.
Cubs vs Tigers Betting Trends
