Best bets today: Blue Jays at Tigers among SportsLine's top MLB plays, predictions for July 24

After a loaded 15-game slate on Wednesday, Thursday sees five MLB games on the docket, including a potential postseason preview as the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers host the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays at 6:40 p.m. ET. Additionally, the San Diego Padres visit the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:45 p.m. ET in a matchup of NL Wild Card hopefuls. 

We highlight the top betting opportunities with links to full game analysis and picks throughout the article while providing the top betting tips for today's matchups.

There is also a link to the best sportsbook promotion today from Caesars Sportsbook, which is offering 10 100% profit boost tokens to new users who sign up with the promo code SPORTSLINEDYW and place a first bet of $1 or more. You can read more about the offer below. 

Best MLB bets today

Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers (-130, 8.5): 6:40 p.m. ET

The top game of the day is between two division leaders that few saw coming. The Tigers have been one of baseball's best teams all year after sneaking into the postseason last year, and the Blue Jays have used some hot play of their own coupled with recent struggles by the Yankees to sit atop the American League East. Now, these two division leaders start a four-game series in the Motor City Thursday night. These teams squared off three times in Toronto in May, with all three games being decided by a single run. Detroit took two of three in that series. 

Right-hander Reese Olson (4-3, 2.71 ERA) will get the start for the Tigers, while the Blue Jays will send out lefty Eric Lauer (5-2, 2.80 ERA). Olson pitched five scoreless innings in his last start against Texas, while Lauer gave up two runs in six innings in his last outing against San Francisco.

Get full analysis and expert picks for Blue Jays-Tigers at SportsLine!

San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals (-153, 8): 7:45 p.m. ET

The Padres are looking to bounce back after dropping two of three to the Miami Marlins, while the Cardinals also just lost a three-game series, losing twice to the Colorado Rockies. The Padres hold an NL Wild Card spot, while the Cardinals are a few games back of that third and final spot. While St. Louis is over .500, there has been some buzz that the Cardinals could be sellers at the trade deadline, which is exactly one week away now. 

Two veteran right-handers will start this game as Yu Darvish (0-2, 6.08 ERA) goes for San Diego while St. Louis sends Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) to the hill. This will be just Darvish's fourth start of the season, and he gave up four runs in a season-high five innings last time out against the Washington Nationals. As for Gray, he got lit up to the tune of nine runs (eight earned) in just 3.1 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his most recent start.

Get full analysis and expert picks for Padres-Cardinals at SportsLine!

Today's featured sportsbook promo

Caesars Sportsbook is giving 10 100% profit boost tokens to new users who sign up with the promo code SPORTSLINEDYW and place a first bet of $1 or more. Your first bet doesn't need to win or lose in order to claim this offer, and you can wager on any game or event both with your qualifying wager as well as with the profit boost tokens. For example, you could bet $1 on the Cardinals to beat the Padres. If the Cardinals win, you get your stake and the winnings back from that bet, as well as the 10 100% profit boost tokens. If the Padres win, you still get the 10 profit boosts.

Profit boost tokens expire 14 days after they're issued and can't be split between multiple bets. The maximum wager for each rewarded profit boost is $25, and the max additional winnings for each rewarded profit boost is $2,500

Other games to bet on for Thursday, July 24

MLB: Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Guardians (1:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Athletics at Houston Astros (8:10 p.m. ET)

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels (9:38 p.m. ET)

Over at SportsLine, you'll get top-notch analysis for every MLB game on Thursday, July 24. You can also join the SportsLine Discord channel for even more expert picks.

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