Detroit Tigers Betting Preview for 2026

It came all the way down to the 15th inning of Game 5, but the Detroit Tigers came up short against the Seattle Mariners in last year’s American League Division Series.

With a rotation decimated by injury, the Tigers had plenty of work cut out for them this winter, as they sought to build a roster capable of remaining in the American League playoff picture.

The first order of business was retaining second baseman Gleyber Torres on the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, followed by acquiring veteran closer Kenley Jansen on a one-year contract worth $11 million.

When young pitchers Jackson Jobe, Troy Melton, and Reese Olson all fell victim to the 60-day IL, Detroit went out and signed southpaw Framber Valdez to a three-year, high-AAV deal, as well as reuniting with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander for one year at $13 million.

Diving into the betting menu for Detroit, there are plenty of futures bets that look appealing for the Tigers to return to the postseason and make a deep run in 2026.

All odds listed come from BetMGM. If you want to sign up, you can do so through this link to receive a first bet offer where new users can get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if their first bet loses.

Win Total – Over/Under

DET Over/Under: 85.5 wins (-115/-105)

Last year, Detroit came into the season with a projected win total of 83.5, and cashed the over by four games, finishing with 87, although their final stretch was certainly rough.

In 2026, the Tigers have gained two whole wins on their preseason line, and even have the over favored this time.

Detroit Tigers American League Central Division Odds: +110

The brutal collapse that Detroit had in the division race last season was undoubtedly a tough watch down the stretch.

Ultimately, landing in second place and ceding home-field advantage in the Wild Card round to the Cleveland Guardians actually didn’t prove costly, as Detroit won the series on the road in three games.

This year, BetMGM projects the Tigers to win the American League Central on the heels of proving they are the consensus best team in the division. Kansas City trails Detroit for the second-best odds at +225, and Cleveland is at +425.

AL Central Favorites, But What About the AL Pennant?

Detroit Tigers American League Winner: +900

At +900, the Tigers come in tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the fifth-best odds to win the American League in 2026.

Teams like the Yankees (+450), Mariners (+500), Blue Jays (+650), and Red Sox (+700) are all ahead of Detroit even though the field is relatively tight.

If the Tigers can win the American League Central as projected by BetMGM, I like the price at +900 to make it out of the American League as a nice longshot bet.

It’s Been 42 Years… Will 2026 End With a Tigers Ring?

Detroit Tigers World Series Winner: +2000

Tied for the eighth-best odds to win the World Series with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit comes in at +2000.

Although the Tigers find themselves ahead of most of the league, they are still enormous underdogs to win the World Series.

Four teams in the National League have better odds than the Tigers to win the World Series, headlined obviously by the reigning back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers (+220).

His Teammate Has Done It, So Why Can’t He? AL MVP

Tarik Skubal American League MVP Winner: +5000

Nobody on the Detroit Tigers can say he is more dominant at his given position than the man most consider the best pitcher on the planet, Tarik Skubal.

The last time a pure pitcher won Most Valuable Player solely for their pitching ability (i.e., not Shohei Ohtani) was in 2014 when Clayton Kershaw won it for the Dodgers.

Current teammate Justin Verlander also won the MVP award as a pure pitcher back in 2011.

Even at the peak of his prime, it would take an insanely special season from Skubal to secure the MVP award. He would likely have to break some sort of regular season record to even be in consideration as a finalist.

The Much Likelier Outcome: American League Cy Young

Tarik Skubal American League Cy Young Winner: +300

After winning the award in 2024 and posting a 2.21 ERA in 195.1 IP the following campaign, nobody is questioning why BetMGM has Skubal as the preseason favorite to take home his third straight AL Cy Young.

Right behind him in the race, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet comes in at +400, and then the field thins out thereafter, with Royals’ Cole Ragans the next closest at +1100.

Skubal for Cy, What About AL Rookie of the Year?

Kevin McGonigle American League ROTY Winner: +375

The hype train has fully left the station after Kevin McGonigle posted .888 OPS this spring in 20 games and officially made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster.

Slated to be their everyday third baseman, McGonigle should see ample plate appearances and will have every chance to prove to the ballclub why he should stick on the major league roster long term.

McGonigle comes in as the betting favorite to win the ROTY award per BetMGM in 2026, with Blue Jays 3B Kazuma Okamoto trailing just behind at +450.

Which Tiger’s Future Should We Lean Towards?

Kevin McGonigle American League ROTY Winner: +375 ✅

At near 4:1 odds, BetMGM is giving us a great payout on a Kevin McGonigle ROTY futures bet.

Considering how weak this field is, even before officially making the opening day roster, BetMGM had McGonigle with the 2nd best odds to win the award. He only trailed Blue Jays 3B Kazuma Okamoto, whom he has now passed since his official announcement of making the team.

McGonigle comes into 2026 as the No. 2 prospect in all of Major League Baseball, only trailing Pirates SS Konnor Griffin, who, fittingly, is the favorite for the National League variant of this award.

Overall, I like a lot of the Tigers’ futures in 2026. The only real longshots are the ones revolving around deep playoff runs and the unlikely scenario that Skubal wins MVP.

Skubal for Cy Young makes sense, and either their regular season win total or divisional odds appear more than justifiable.