MLB matchup analysis

Rockies vs Tigers Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Comerica Park · 1:10 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Rockies vs Tigers

Lab Rating
2.8/10
Model lean
Tigers 61.3%
Market probability
59.6%
Model edge
+1.7%
Best moneyline
-155
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
61.3%
Market
59.6%

The case for Detroit Tigers

Late-inning bullpen advantage
Colorado Rockies relievers have a 10.98 ERA over the last 7 days; Detroit Tigers relievers have a 0.43. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors Detroit Tigers.

The case for Colorado Rockies

The case is thin
The model finds little going Colorado Rockies's way — it trails on the pitching plan, bullpen, and recent form. The main path to a Colorado Rockies win is variance.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 2.8/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Cold stretch at the plate
Detroit Tigers is -0.028 wOBA below its own season form.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 3.13/10
LyDia leans toward Detroit Tigers, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 10.67/40
Andrew Sears rates 49 on LyDia's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). Average or below by that measure, so it earns little or none of the available credit here -- independent of who the opponent is throwing.
Offense: 14.08/50
Detroit Tigers's recent form does not clearly outpace Colorado Rockies's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 53.8%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes Detroit Tigers 53.8% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 5 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Detroit Tigers by 5 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: +0.069
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Detroit Tigers. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 53.8% -> 61.3%
Team strength alone had Detroit Tigers at 53.8%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 61.3% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Final result

Rockies 7, Tigers 11

How the analysis held up

Detroit Tigers won, the side LyDia's model favored.

Tanner Gordon (No clear pitching-plan edge) was LyDia's favored starter by pitcher score, but Andrew Sears actually pitched better tonight: 4.1 IP, 4 ER (8.31 ERA) against 4.0 IP, 4 ER (9.00 ERA). The edge did not show up in this game. Both starters struggled; this was not a case of one clean outing beating one bad one.

The Colorado Rockies bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 7 earned runs allowed over 4.0 relief innings (15.75 ERA) — quietly worse than the pregame read implied.

Game information

MatchupColorado Rockies at Detroit Tigers
DateSaturday, September 12, 2026
First pitch1:10 PM ET
VenueComerica Park
Starting pitchersTanner Gordon vs Andrew Sears
WeatherGame-time forecast: 75°F, 3% precipitation chance, 7 mph wind from S.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Tanner GordonRockies · RHP
vs
Andrew SearsTigers · LHP
MetricRockiesTigers
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings55
ThrowsRL
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)5149
ERA (lower is better)5.555.40
WHIP (lower is better)1.481.38
K/9 (higher is better)7.57.0
K-BB% (higher is better)14.7%12.3%
K% (higher is better)18.9%17.8%
BB% (lower is better)4.2%5.5%
BB/9 (lower is better)1.72.2
HR/9 (lower is better)1.71.1
Ground-ball rate37.8%25.7%
Fly-ball rate62.2%74.3%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Tanner Gordon a 2-point edge over Andrew Sears, driven mainly by BB/9 (1.7 vs 2.2) and K-BB% (14.7% vs 12.3%).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Tanner Gordon strikeouts
4.8 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 3.5K · +0.9K difference
Market 3.5K · O -135 / U +120 · 6 books
Andrew Sears strikeouts
4.7 LyDia projected Ks
No strikeout line posted when this page was generated

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Rockies are 3-7 in their last 10 and averaging 3.9 runs per game over the last 15 days; Tigers are 5-5 in their last 10 and averaging 3.9 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Tigers carry the better run differential per game (+0.43 against -1.09).

MetricRockiesTigers
Last 103-75-5
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)1-9 on the road6-4 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7030.644
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3090.286
Runs per game, last 15 days3.93.9
K% last 15 days (lower is better)24.7%26.9%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysRockiesTigers
OPS0.714 (-0.025 vs szn)0.659 (-0.056 vs szn)
Runs per game4.37 (-0.326 vs szn)3.89 (-0.553 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.317 (-0.008 vs szn)0.293 (-0.023 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)24.5% (+1.5% vs szn)24.2% (+1.3% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Rockies have been the better offense, 0.317 wOBA to 0.293. They are cooling off against their own season line (-0.008 wOBA). Rockies are striking out at 24.5% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricRockiesTigers
Record55-9268-79
Run differential / game (team quality)-1.09+0.43
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.704.45
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)5.794.02
Season OPS0.7360.710
K% season (lower is better)23.0%22.9%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7010.718

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Rockies and Tigers are highlighted.

Rockies
Combined risk
6.9 Tired
Fatigue
5.1 Normal
Efficiency
1.4 Struggling
Tigers
Combined risk
4.6 Normal
Fatigue
6.1 Normal
Efficiency
8.0 Dominant

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricRockiesTigers
Fatigue5.1/10, Normal6.1/10, Normal
Efficiency1.4/10, Struggling8.0/10, Dominant
Combined risk6.9/10, Tired4.6/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days19.721.0
Back-to-back arms57
7-day ERA10.980.43
7-day WHIP2.030.81

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
7.8
Market total
Not available
Projected away runs
2.4
Projected home runs
4.9
Over price
Not available
Under price
Not available
Colorado Rockies team total
2.4 projected
Line Not available · O Not available / U Not available
Market line pending
Detroit Tigers team total
4.9 projected
Line Not available · O Not available / U Not available
Market line pending

The current model and market total cannot be compared yet. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

More games today

All matchups →

Every LyDia pick, graded in public

Free daily model card by email, or open today's full slate. Membership adds delivery before first pitch.

Today's picks Membership

Model outputs are not guarantees. LyDia provides analysis and education only. Every official pick remains visible on the Results page. 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.