This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Bets & Player Props for Thursday, May 23
Thursday brings a limited slate consisting of just eight games. Most of them have early start times, so let's dig into the evening matchup between the Tigers and Royals and highlight three props to consider.
Mike Barner's season record: 16-13 (-0.13 units)
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Detroit Tigers vs. Toronto Blue Jays Best Bets
This has the potential to be a great pitching matchup between Jack Flaherty and Kevin Gausman. Let's focus on Flaherty first. After a couple of down seasons, he has bounced back with a 3.79 ERA and an even better 2.77 FIP. His strikeout rate has shot up to 33.0 percent, while his WHIP checks in at 1.06. With him doing such a good job of keeping hitters off base, he has logged at least six innings in eight of his nine starts. The Blue Jays have a .644 OPS on the road, setting up Flaherty to potentially pitch deep into this matchup.
Gausman's 4.89 ERA might not look great, but his FIP is encouraging at 3.49. He has been a bit unlucky with opponents posting a .369 BABIP against him. His strikeout rate has also decreased to 22.6 percent after he had recorded four straight seasons with a strikeout rate of at least 28.3 percent. He has shown some improvement in that department, though, posting at least six strikeouts in each of his last three starts. The Tigers have struck out the 11th-most times in baseball, leaving Gausman in a favorable spot to hit the over on his strikeouts prop.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa doesn't bring much to the plate. After batting .242 with a .286 wOBA last year, he is hitting .248 with a .276 wOBA this season. Since the start of the 2022 campaign, he has hit a total of just 12 home runs. Kiner-Falefa comes into the day in a slump, hitting 2-for-24 over his last nine games. A matchup against Flaherty makes the under on his combined hits, runs and RBI prop an appealing option.
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MLB Picks for Tigers vs. Blue Jays
- Jack Flaherty over 17.5 outs recorded (-106) at FanDuel Sportsbook for 1 unit
- Kevin Gausman over 5.5 strikeouts (-113) at FanDuel Sportsbook for 1 unit
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa under 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-120) at DraftKings Sportsbook for 1 unit
MLB Best Bets Today Recap
- Jack Flaherty over 17.5 outs recorded (-106) at FanDuel Sportsbook for 1 unit
- Kevin Gausman over 5.5 strikeouts (-113) at FanDuel Sportsbook for 1 unit
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa under 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-120) at DraftKings Sportsbook for 1 unit
