Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers: Odds, Prediction
Detroit is a -125 favourite on the MLB odds with a total of 8.5 runs.
Jays vs. Tigers July 24 Betting Analysis
With August now right around the corner, it’s time to start considering playoff seeding in the American League. Detroit is going to win the AL Central and had the best overall record in the Junior Circuit for much of the season (no longer does), but AL East-leading Toronto is right on the Tigers’ heels. To get the AL’s top seed, Detroit is +195 and Toronto +425. Getting the No. 2 seed is nearly as good as that still means avoiding the AL Wild-Card Series.
Both these clubs will be active buyers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline and both will surely add at least a bullpen arm at a minimum. Probably a starting pitcher as well. Detroit is not whole currently with lefty slugger Kerry Carpenter (.257, 16 HR, 32 RBIs) on the injured list with a hamstring injury.
Toronto last won the season series in 2023 and lost two of three to the Tigers at Rogers Centre from May 16-18. Detroit All-Star outfielder Riley Greene had a strong series, going 4-for-13 with two doubles and a homer. Fellow All-Star Javy Baez was just 1-for-11. Bo Bichette was 4-for-12 for the Jays with a double and solo homer. Geroge Springer was 0-for-8 with five strikeouts.
The Blue Jays were 1-3 at Comerica Park in 2024.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto beat the visiting New York Yankees, 8-4 on Wednesday, to extend its AL East lead to four games and improve to 5-1 since the All-Star break. This is the Jays’ first road game since, and they lost three of their final four pre-break away. That Chris Bassitt went 7.1 innings Wednesday obviously helped the bullpen in terms of tonight. Bo Bichette stayed red-hot this month with a homer Wednesday and is hitting .328 in July. Toronto batters’ 17.4% strikeout rate is the lowest in the majors by more than a per centage point and would be the lowest by a team for a season since the 2017 Astros. Outfielder Daulton Varsho remains on the IL with a hamstring injury but is progressing in his rehab and should be back next week. Lefty Eric Lauer (5-2, 2.80 ERA) takes the mound tonight, and the 30-year-old might be the MVP of the season for the Jays so far simply for the stability he provided early on in the rotation when basically signed off the street. Lauer tied a season high with six innings last time out in beating the Giants, allowing two runs and striking out seven. He served as a glorified opener vs. Detroit on May 17 and allowed one run over three innings in a no-decision. The under is 10-4 in Toronto’s past 14 games in Detroit.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are playing their worst ball of the season on a three-game skid and having lost nine of 10 but they still have an eight-game lead atop the AL Central. Even the best of teams have at least one mini-slump in a season. They still were the first club in the majors this year to reach 30, 40, 50 and 60 wins, only the sixth big-league team to accomplish all of those in the past 20 years. Detroit does miss lefty slugger Kerry Carpenter, who just started a rehab assignment on Tuesday. Can’t imagine he’s activated for this series. Righty Reese Olson (4-3, 2.71 ERA) takes the hill Thursday. The 25-year-old threw five shutout innings last time out in Texas but was saddled with a no-decision. Olson has four straight NDs, which started with six shutout innings in Toronto on May 17. The Jays eventually won the game 2-1. No Blue Jays have very good career splits off Olson but none with more than seven at-bats. George Springer is 0-for-6 with two Ks. The under is 5-1 in the Tigers’ past six games.
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