MLB.TV Free Game of the Day Betting Picks for Blue Jays-Tigers (5/23/24)

The lengthy MLB season can cause some games to get lost in the shuffle, but MLB.TV provides fans with a Free Game of the Day throughout the regular season that can also be seen on FanDuel TV+ here, or also available on Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, and FanDuel Sportsbook.

Why not add to the viewing excitement by getting in on the MLB odds over at FanDuel Sportsbook?

For this article, we've got you covered with a betting guide for each Free Game of the Day. With that, let's take a look at some of the best bets for today's free game.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated projections.

MLB Betting Picks

Blue Jays vs. Tigers Betting Odds: Spread, Total, and Moneyline

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Spread: Blue Jays -1.5 (+146)
• Total: 7.5
• Moneyline:
  • Blue Jays: -110
  • Tigers: -106

Best Bet

Blue Jays Under 3.5 Runs (+106)

The Detroit Tigers (23-26) and Toronto Blue Jays (22-26) will kick off a four-game series tonight, and though the market is showing a slight lean in favor of Toronto, it might be best to fade them in this contest.

Jack Flaherty will be on the bump for the Tigers. While Flaherty's 3.79 ERA through nine starts isn't overly flashy, that number becomes a bit moot when we check out his other metrics. Flaherty owns a 2.08 xFIP (1st in MLB), 2.29 SIERA (1st), 2.92 xERA (14th), 1.06 WHIP, and a scorching 33.0% K% (2nd).

His play through nearly two months of baseball has earned him +2000 AL Cy Young odds (seventh-shortest), which says a lot considering he entered this season as the third starter in line for Detroit.

The Blue Jays are producing a .230 BA (20th), .368 SLG (23rd), and 97 wRC+ (19th) versus right-handed pitchers. They're also scoring just 3.79 runs per game (fourth-fewest) and hitting 0.83 home runs per game (sixth-fewest). Only one player on Toronto (Danny Jansen) is generating an .815 OPS or higher against righties.

Flaherty looks primed to dominate in this matchup, and past him, Detroit's bullpen comes in with a 3.58 ERA (9th-best), 1.19 WHIP (7th-best), 0.86 HR/9 (10th-lowest), and an 8.9% walk rate (11th-lowest).

Joey Wentz (3.14 xFIP) and closer Jason Foley (2.45 ERA) will both be available for the Tigers after not appearing in yesterday's game.

Flaherty and Detroit's bullpen have given up under 3.5 runs in five of his nine starts. The Jays, meanwhile, have scored under 3.5 runs in 54.2% of their total games and 63.5% of their away games. With +106 odds (48.5% implied probability) available, it could be worthwhile to side with a quiet night from the Toronto bats.

Best Prop

Jack Flaherty 7+ Strikeouts (+140)

Flaherty's 33.0% K% (second-best in MLB), 11.85 K/9 (best), and 34.6% CSW% (called plus swinging strike percentage; best) are outstanding numbers.

Opponents are drawing a mere 67.3% contact rate (lowest) against him while he's averaging a towering eight strikeouts per outing this season.

He has recorded at least six strikeouts in eight out of nine games and has managed to fan at least seven batters in six out of nine starts.

Toronto's 20.1% K% (seventh-lowest) versus righties is a bit underwhelming, but Flaherty's two most recent outings were against K-resistant teams (Houston Astros, 17.7% K%; Arizona Diamondbacks, 21.1% K), yet he still punched out at least seven batters in each of these contests.

You can get Jack Flaherty Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-150), too, but I think the alt market is showing interesting value.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.