After a 162-game regular season, the Detroit Tigers' year has hit overdrive, as their American League wild-card series against the Houston Astros begins at 2:32 p.m. today (ABC) in Houston.

To get to the postseason for the first time in a decade, the Tigers had to win 31 of their final 44 games. Now, to advance, they just need to win two out of three at Minute Maid Park this week.

Easy, right?

Five Free Press sports writers give their thoughts on who'll prevail between the Tigers and Astros and head to Cleveland for the ALCS.

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Evan Petzold

Only one player on the Tigers' expected wild-card roster — Matt Vierling — has postseason experience. The Astros, though, have been to the postseason eight years in a row with many of the same players, reaching the ALCS seven straight years and the World Series four times in all.

If experience matters, the Astros hold a massive advantage over the Tigers, even though the Tigers come into the series as one of the hottest teams in baseball, winning 31 of their final 44 games. But don't forget that the Astros posted the best record among all AL teams since April 27, at 81-54.So how does this series go? The Tigers won't stop believing, but losing Game 1 with their ace on the mound will crush their vibes. Don't worry, the Tigers will be back in the playoffs for years to come. The pick: Astros, 2-0.

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Ryan Ford

Does the Tigers’ 31-13 record to close the regular season — basically two straight months of playoff games — mean more than their 2-4 showing in six games against the Astros in the first half of the year? Do the Astros’ seven straight ALCS appearances — with a 59-38 (.608) record in the postseason over that span — mean more than their 14-11 record in September? In the end, the Astros’ edge in the rotation looks like just enough to send them on to face Cleveland in the ALDS and send the Tigers home with a season to grow on. The pick: Astros, 2-1.

Carlos Monarrez

The Tigers had an amazing season built on grit, timely hitting and A.J. Hinch’s expert handling of the depleted pitching staff. But that only goes so far against elite, experienced playoff teams on the road. The Tigers struggle to score, so their pitchers can’t let the Astros take big early leads with their top-heavy lineup. If Tarik Skubal can go deep and win the opener, the Tigers have a shot. But winning this series is asking a lot for a team that has only two players with postseason experience. The pick: Astros, 2-1.

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Jeff Seidel

Houston has all kinds of playoff experience, but the Tigers have been playing playoff baseball for a month. Skubal will get the Game 1 win. But here’s my bold prediction: Jackson Jobe is the X-factor. He will go into one of the other two games, get hot, flamethrow off his emotions, stay on a roll and before you know it, he will have pitched multiple innings while setting the Tigers up for the decisive win. The pick: Tigers, 2-1.

Shawn Windsor

The Tigers won two fewer games than Houston and that includes losing the final two against the White Sox. Without the celebratory hangover, and without A.J. Hinch maneuvering for the postseason by skipping Tarik Skubal in the rotation, perhaps the Tigers win their final two games and we are thinking about this series a little differently by the record. In other words, the difference between these two teams is a whisker if we consider the level of baseball played the last couple of months. These are the Astros. And they always go to the American League Championship Series. And they have a bit more pop in their bats. That experience and home-field advantage should be enough to get Houston to the ALDS. But it will not be easy. And the Tigers will be back next year. The pick: Astros, 2-1

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers vs Houston Astros: Predictions for AL wild card series