MLB best bets July 24: Skubal starts as Yankees-Phillies joins slate
SportsLine’s July 24 MLB card leans Royals run line, a Luzardo strikeout prop and Blue Jays value as Tarik Skubal starts for Detroit.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Tarik Skubal gets the spotlight in the MLB best bets July 24 slate, with the Tigers ace scheduled to start against Kansas City while trade talk hangs over Detroit before the Aug. 3 deadline.
CBS Sports’ Gene Menez reported that Detroit was 16 games under .500 at the end of May, then went 27-16 over its next 43 games to move within four games of Boston for the American League’s final wild-card spot. That surge has made Skubal’s future less clear. Detroit is listed at -271 on the money line against the Royals, with Kansas City at +218.
The betting picks cited by CBS Sports come from the SportsLine Projection Model and CBS Sports experts. SportsLine says its model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times before issuing picks and grades.
What are the MLB best bets July 24?
SportsLine’s card starts in Detroit at 6:40 p.m. ET, where its model is on Royals +1.5 at -104. CBS Sports expert Matt Severance is also on Kansas City early, taking the Royals +1.5 in the first five innings at -130.
Detroit’s trouble cashing in runners is part of the case. CBS Sports reported that the Tigers have 37 RBI with runners in scoring position, tied for 25th in MLB. SportsLine gives Kansas City a 57% chance to cover the run line and a B grade.
At 6:45 p.m. ET on Apple TV, the Yankees visit the Phillies. SportsLine’s model points to New York +115, giving the Yankees a 47% win chance and a C grade. The expert angle is on Philadelphia left-hander Jesus Luzardo to go over 7.5 strikeouts at +108, a prop from Angelo Magliocca.
Luzardo enters at 9-4 with a 3.43 ERA, according to CBS Sports, and has gone 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 42 1/3 innings in his last seven starts. Magliocca’s case cites Luzardo’s recent swing-and-miss numbers and the Yankees’ struggles against left-handed pitching over the same span.
Other Friday MLB picks and odds
Diamondbacks at Nationals, 6:45 p.m. ET: SportsLine and Severance both back Washington +1.5, with the model price at -158 and the expert pick at -156. CBS Sports noted Arizona’s travel grind: Phoenix on Wednesday, St. Louis on Thursday for a makeup game, then Washington on Friday, while the Nationals had Thursday off. The model gives Washington a 70% cover chance and a B grade.
Guardians at Rays, 7:10 p.m. ET: SportsLine’s model picks Cleveland +111, with a 48% win chance and a C grade. Prop Bet Guy is on Shane McClanahan under 16.5 outs at -140. CBS Sports reported McClanahan has stayed under that total in 13 of 18 starts this season, while Cleveland ranks second in pitches seen per plate appearance.
Blue Jays at Red Sox, 7:15 p.m. ET: SportsLine backs Toronto +107, giving the Blue Jays a 53% win chance and a B grade. Prop Bet Guy’s pick is Trey Yesavage under 5.5 hits allowed. CBS Sports reported Yesavage has stayed under that mark in all 15 starts this season and in 23 of 24 career outings, including the playoffs.
Boston enters after its 15-game winning streak ended, according to CBS Sports. Yesavage is 4-5 with a 3.78 ERA and has held hitters to a .186 average, with Prop Bet Guy pointing to his rate of one hit allowed every 6.3 batters faced, or every 25 pitches.
A run line is baseball’s version of a point spread, usually set at 1.5 runs. A money line bet asks only which team wins, while player props focus on individual stat totals such as strikeouts, outs recorded or hits allowed.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.