The Detroit Tigers will conclude their series with the Toronto Blue Jays in a Thursday night MLB matchup at the Rogers Centre. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Tigers-Blue Jays prediction and pick, laid out below.
Detroit has been seemingly stuck in an endless rebuild, going 66-96 last season. The Tigers have not made the postseason since 2014. Manager AJ Hinch is well respected throughout the game, but the rebuild has stalled multiple times. Detroit is 2-9 to start the season.
Toronto finished their season in second place of the AL East, securing the top Wild Card spot with a 92-70 record. Even with a torrid end to the season, Toronto could not climb atop the division. A solid offseason supplemented an already talented roster, giving the Blue Jays a legitimate chance to contend. Toronto has surged to an 8-4 record.
Here are the Tigers-Blue Jays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Tigers-Blue Jays Odds
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-102)
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (-118)
Over: 9.5 (+102)
Under: 9.5 (-124)
How To Watch Tigers vs. Blue Jays
TV: Bally Sports Detroit, Sports Net
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 7:08 PM ET/5:08 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson have long been hailed as saviors to the Detroit offense, and 2022 was a bit of a step backward in that effort. This season, both have hit one home run, while Torkelson leads the team with six RBI. Coming out of Arizona State, Torkelson was lauded for his offense but was sent back to Triple-A after a slow start to his MLB career in 2022. Matt Vierling, acquired from the Phillies this offseason, leads the team with a .257 batting average, belting one home run. Catcher Jake Rogers, finally healthy, leads the team with two home runs. Akil Baddoo is up to replace Austin Meadows and has hit .286 in his four games. Nick Maton, also acquired from the Phillies, is tied with Rogers for the lead with two home runs.
Spencer Turnbull will take the ball for Detroit, looking to bounce back after an awful beginning to the season. Turnbull has allowed 12 earned runs in 8.0 innings, striking out four with five walks. The righty missed all of 2022 after Tommy John surgery. Jason Foley and Chasen Shreve are the lone bright spots in the bullpen, as both own ERAs below 4.00.
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. is back to anchor a strong Toronto lineup. Last season, Guerrero, Jr. bashed 32 home runs and 35 doubles, slashing .274/.339/.480, earning his second straight All-Star bid. For the second straight season, Bo Bichette led the league in hits, slashing .290/.333/.469 with 24 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Bichette leads the team with four home runs. George Springer will headline the outfield, hitting .267 with 25 home runs and 14 stolen bases last year. Springer has belted two home runs and stolen two bases in the early going. Keep an eye on Daulton Varsho, who was acquired from Arizona this offseason. Varsho’s skillset is interesting, as he ranks towards the top of the Statcast leaderboards in outs above average and outfield jump. Varsho has also caught in his career and hit 27 home runs to set a new career high last season. Varsho has three doubles and a home run this season. Matt Chapman has been uber-productive, hitting eight doubles, three home runs, and driving in 15 runs.
Chris Bassitt will be the starting pitcher for Toronto, coming off a solid start against Los Angeles. Inflated by a terrible start against St. Louis, Bassitt has registered a 10.61 ERA in his two starts. Bassitt's early season struggles are concerning given the decrease in his fastball velocity. Adam Cimber has pitched to a 1.50 ERA with a save in six innings out of the bullpen.
Final Tigers-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
There should be a ton of runs in this one, but Toronto's offense will take the victory.
Final Tigers-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Toronto -1.5 (-118), over 9.5 (+102)
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