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It's Thursday and while we don't have a jam-packed schedule on tap we have plenty of value on the board with seven games on tap. It's a mix of matinee action and some evening contests as we look to pad our bankrolls.
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Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter @BKemp17 with any questions or comments or plain ol' baseball talk! Now, let's dive into Thursday's free MLB betting picks and see if we can get on the right side of the ledger!
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Today's MLB Betting Picks - Detroit Tigers vs. Toronto Blue Jays
O/U: 9 | Moneyline: Blue Jays (-235)
DET: Spencer Turnbull | TOR: Chris Bassitt
The Tigers and Blue Jays conclude a three-game series tonight in Toronto after the Jays walked off the Tigers by a final of 4-3 in 10 innings on Wednesday night. It was all Blue Jays in the series opener Tuesday as they scored nine unanswered runs in a 9-3 rout of Detroit.
Toeing the rubber for the Tigers is right-hander Spencer Turnbull who has had a tough start in his return from May 2021 Tommy John surgery. At the time, Turnbull was emerging as a front-line starter but he's been touched up for 12 earned runs in eight innings of work so far this season, or a 13.50 ERA in two starts. He's only struck out four of the 40 batters he's faced while he's walked five in that time.
As for the Blue Jays, their offense has predictably been one of the game's best early this season. Toronto sits fifth with a .346 wOBA on the young season while their .289 batting average is the best in baseball to this point. While they haven't hit for a ton of power, they did slug five home runs in Tuesday's series opener.
The offense should be able to get to Turnbull and provide plenty of run support for Chris Bassitt. The right-hander was roughed up for nine runs across 3 1/2 innings in his first start of the season by the Cardinals but bounced back with six innings of two-run ball while allowing just a pair of hits in a winning effort over the Angels his last time out.
There's also the fact the Tigers' bullpen has struggled mightily early on. That bullpen blew a 3-1 ninth-inning lead last night and owns a 29th-ranked 6.85 ERA on the young season. They've lost four high-leverage arms from last season's elite group either via trade or free agency. This is a group that should struggle for much of the season.
Plan on Toronto's bats staying hot in this one while Detroit's offense continues to struggle, sitting dead last with a .253 wOBA on the campaign.
Pick: Blue Jays run line (-114), FanDuel Sportsbook, 2 Units
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Today's MLB Betting Picks - Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
O/U: 8.5 | Moneyline: STL (-270)
PIT: Vince Velasquez | STL: Jordan Montgomery
After taking two of three from the Rockies in Colorado the St. Louis Cardinals head home to take on the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
Getting the ball for the visiting side is right-hander Vince Velasquez who has been roughed up in two starts this season and injured his ankle his last time out. Velasquez has yielded eight earned runs in 7 1/2 frames on the season while walking five and striking out four. He's surrendered 11 hits and two home runs in that time. The 30-year-old has largely struggled over the last several seasons and enters this one sporting a 4.98 ERA for his career.
Opposite of Velasquez is Cardinals southpaw Jordan Montgomery whose season is off to a brilliant start. After the left-hander turned in a quality 3.48 ERA across 32 starts last season, he has surrendered just three runs in 12 innings across two starts this time around. He's yet to allow a homer and has punched out 12 against just three walks on the young season.
They just played three games at Coors Field but the Cardinals' offense is raking. In fact, only the perfect Rays and the Dodgers own a superior wOBA to the Cards' .351 mark while the Pirates check in at 21st with a .313 wOBA. Like the Blue Jays, St. Louis has hit for a high average as their .284 mark is the third-best figure in all of baseball.
It's a mismatch on the rubber and at the plate as the Cardinals should be able to take this one by at least two runs tonight.
Pick: Cardinals run line (-140), FanDuel Sportsbook, 1 Unit
Good luck folks!
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