Dodgers vs Tigers Preview & Analysis: Skubal Returns to Detroit
Updated August 28, 2026
Updated August 28, 2026
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers open a three-game series Friday at Comerica Park, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. ET. All eyes will be on Tarik Skubal, who returns to Detroit for the first time since the Tigers sent him to Los Angeles in a blockbuster deal earlier this month, just before the trade deadline.
Skubal will face his former team, while Drew Anderson gets the start for Detroit. Can Skubal shine in his return and help the Dodgers get back on track? Let’s preview Friday’s matchup, make our Dodgers vs Tigers prediction, and break down some of the biggest storylines heading into the series opener.
I’m taking the Dodgers to win Friday’s series opener, with LA currently priced around 65¢ on Polymarket. However, I think there’s better value on the Dodgers -1.5 runs at around 50¢.
Yes, the Dodgers have had a rough month and seem to already have one eye on October and their chase for a third straight World Series title. But they’ve still taken care of business against weaker teams. Believe it or not, LA has won 11 straight games against teams with a losing record, sweeping the Royals, Rockies, and Pirates after taking the final two games of its series against the Mariners.
This prediction is also as much about fading Detroit as it is backing LA. The Tigers showed some signs of life immediately after the trade deadline, winning their first three series after August 3. Since then, though, they’ve fallen back down to earth, losing four straight series and struggling to get much going offensively.
And with Skubal making his return to Detroit, I expect the Dodgers to put together a strong effort behind their new ace. This also lines up with our ATS.io Quantitative Model, which projects a 5-2 Dodgers win and likes LA -1.5 as the best play. Check out our full Dodgers vs Tigers prediction for more data and analysis on Friday’s matchup.
Most of the attention in Friday’s matchup will be on Tarik Skubal, who was drafted by Detroit in 2018 and spent his entire career with the Tigers before this month. He became one of the best pitchers in baseball along the way, winning back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025.
But with Skubal set to become a free agent after the season and Detroit unlikely to keep him around for 2027 and beyond, the Tigers decided to send him to Los Angeles just before the trade deadline.
Skubal has been solid through his first four starts out West, posting a 3.38 ERA with the Dodgers. He’s also coming off one of his better outings, striking out 11 over seven innings in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh six days ago.
There will obviously be some extra emotion surrounding his return to Comerica Park, but he couldn’t ask for a much better matchup. Detroit is averaging fewer than 2.4 runs per game over its last eight and has been held to one run or fewer four times during that stretch.
If you’re predicting a Dodgers win Friday, there’s obviously some reason to be concerned about LA’s current form. The Dodgers are just 11-13 in August, including an ugly 2-13 record against teams with a winning record.
Injuries haven’t helped. LA is currently without its top two catchers, Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, while center fielder Andy Pages has been on the 10-day IL since August 22 with a fractured left hand. Roki Sasaki joined him on the sidelines Thursday, landing on the 15-day IL with a blister on his right middle finger that bothered him during his start against Atlanta.
Even Shohei Ohtani has been dealing with left knee inflammation, which has kept him off the mound since July 3. He’s still been able to hit, but it’s another issue for a Dodgers team that certainly isn’t heading toward October at full strength.
Things are looking pretty grim right now if you’re a Tigers fan. Detroit has dropped four straight series, losing to the White Sox, Pirates, Royals, and Rays. That slide has dropped the Tigers to fourth place in the AL Central, eight games behind Chicago and 5.5 games back of Cleveland for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.
With just over a month left in the regular season, are the Tigers dead in the water, or is there still time to make a run at the playoffs for a third straight year?
According to Polymarket, they’re still alive — but barely. Detroit is currently trading at just 5¢ to make the postseason, which translates to roughly a 5% chance. That puts the Tigers behind 11 other AL teams: the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, Guardians, Astros, Mariners, Rangers, Blue Jays, Orioles, and Twins.
So, the Tigers aren’t dead yet, but they’ll need a major turnaround to get back into the race. And with the calendar about to flip to September, it needs to start this weekend against Los Angeles.
For more picks and analysis from around the league, check out our daily MLB picks and predictions throughout the 2026 season.
