Justin Verlander is slated to make the final start of his storied career today, and my Pirates vs. Tigers predictions expect him to finish on a high note.
I’ll break down why I’m taking the Tigers as 52% favorites in my MLB picks for Saturday, Sept. 26.
Who will win Pirates vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline
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I’m taking the Detroit Tigers up to 54% today.
The Tigers are one of the hottest-hitting teams in MLB this month, ranking fourth in OPS (.770) and wOBA (.341).
Detroit’s offense will get the better of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are set for a bullpen game with 39-year-old reliever Kirby Yates getting the start. Pittsburgh’s bullpen is nothing special, sitting 16th in the majors in ERA (4.05).
You know Justin Verlander will be ready to go for his final start. The three-time Cy Young winner has a career ERA of 3.02 in September/October — his lowest of any month during the regular season.
COVERS INTEL: The Pirates bullpen has allowed 45 earned runs in September, sixth-most in the majors. The Tigers' relief corps ranks Top 3 in opponent average, OBP, and SLG this month.
Pirates vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5
I’m playing the Over up to 52%.
I trust Verlander more than Yates and the Pirates 'pen, but the 43-year-old has not stepped on the mound since March.
It’s difficult to know how deep Verlander can go and how effective he’ll be, but I doubt he keeps the Pirates completely at bay.
The Tigers are also hitting very well right now, sitting second in the majors in wRC+ (130) since Sept. 1.
Pirates vs Tigers home run prediction: Riley Greene
Riley Greene is mashing right now with a .333 average, .617 SLG, and five homers in September.
The Tigers outfielder sits in the 95th percentile in xSLG and 96th percentile in barrel% this season — a testament to his power and ability to square up the baseball.
Greene also leads the Tigers in barrels (10) and ranks third in hard-hit balls (21) this month.
- ML/RL picks: 10-10, -1.20 units
- Over/Under picks: 10-10, -0.47 units
Pirates vs Tigers weather
With temperatures hovering around 70 degrees and light winds blowing out to right field, weather won’t be a major factor today at Comerica Park.
Pirates vs Tigers odds
- Moneyline: Pirates 49% | Tigers 52%
- Run line: Pirates +1.5 | Tigers -1.5
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Pirates vs Tigers trend
The Over is 10-5 in the last 15 meetings between these teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Tigers.
How to watch Pirates vs Tigers and game info
| Location | Comerica Park, Detroit, MI |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 |
| First pitch | 1:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | SportsNet Pittsburgh, Detroit SportsNet |
| Pirates starting pitcher | Kirby Yates (2-5, 3.32 ERA) |
| Tigers starting pitcher | Justin Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ERA) |
Pirates vs Tigers latest injuries
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