The Detroit Tigers enter spring training with a lot to prove.

Baseball season is here. We finally made it.

The city of Detroit is still feeling excited about the performance of the Lions and the Michigan Wolverines in football season and would love to have a summer to remember with the Tigers.

Detroit is an intriguing mix of talented veterans (Javy Baez), rising stars (Jake Rogers and Spencer Torkelson) and newcomers (Colt Keith).

Michigan Sportsbooks have posted their pre-season odds on the Tigers for 2024. It’s not like the Lions, who the sportsbooks were hot on from the start, but there’s reason for optimism.

What Do The Sportsbooks Say?

You can find a world of future bets on the upcoming 2024 MLB season. The Dodgers, after spending a billion dollars in the off-season (no exaggeration) are the pre-season favorite to win the World Series.

BetMGM has markets on the final position of the top two teams in the AL Central with Tigers/Twins at +165. They have the Tigers +350 to win the division outright and Keith +1000 to win AL Rookie of the Year.

Caesars Sportsbooks lists the Tigers at +300 to win the AL Central behind the Twins and their over/under on wins at 80.5. To make the playoffs, Caesars says Yes +170.

The DraftKings odds are similar to Caesars, with the Tigers +350 to win the AL Central behind the Twins, the same over/under total at 80.5 and +190 to make the playoffs.

Questions for the Tigers Line-Up

After a Hall of Fame career, Miguel Cabrera has retired, leaving a big joyful hole at the top of the Tigers line-up.

There’s no doubt the Tigers will miss his enthusiasm. Baez now inherits the role as the Tigers marquee player. He’s making $25 million this season, by far the most of anyone on the team. The 31-year-old is coming off his worst season as a pro batting .222.

So Baez is the first big question, the other storyline for Detroit is how quickly the other players mature. Torkelson and Riley Greene look like they can hit Major League pitching, but can they boost their power numbers?

Keith is the young sensation at second base. The 22-year old played 67 games at triple-A last year but is expected to get the full-time job.

What About the Rotation?

The only Tigers pitcher with double digit wins last year, Eduardo Rodriguez, is gone, signing with Arizona. By default, Tarik Skubal who posted an ERA of 2.80 last year becomes the ace and the likely Opening Day starter.

The Tigers made two moves in free agency to bolster the staff. Neither pitcher is Cy Young caliber, but they are experienced pros. Detroit signed Jack Flaherty on a one-year prove it deal after he went 8-9 last season with the Cardinals and Orioles. Detroit also brought in Kenta Maeda from the Twins. He went 6-8 last season with a 4.23 ERA.

Detroit’s bullpen is still steady, with closer Alex Lange back after 26 saves last season.

The Tigers open with six games on the road and then come home for Opening Day on April 5 against the Las Vegas/Oakland A’s.

By:Darren Cooper

Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.