The Detroit Tigers chase the top spot in the American League as Tarik Skubal takes the mound against Bailey Ober in Minnesota. A Tigers win and a Blue Jays loss to the Cubs would temporarily crown Detroit as the No. 1 seed, setting a motivational tone for the AL Central clash. The game preview highlights FanDuel’s odds: Tigers at -1.5 on the run line, -205 on the moneyline, and a total of 7.5. A key Daily Dinger pick targets Kerry Carpenter at +265 to homer, leveraging Ober’s high homer rate. The matchup features one of the season’s sharp contrasts: Skubal, a leading Cy Young candidate, vs Ober, who owns a higher ERA and has already surrendered multiple homers to Detroit. The Tigers’ offense, led by Carpenter’s .539 slugging, looms as the difference-maker if Ober repeats his June 28 dud against Detroit.

In this big-series frame, the run-line play stands out as the most compelling value given the pitching edge and the Tigers’ capability to plate runs in bunches. Ober’s 5.16 ERA and a recent Tigers beat-down history suggest Detroit could run away with the win if Skubal stays on his special-season track. Kerry Carpenter’s homer prop taps into a hitter with big power and a favorable matchup; Ober has allowed a notable rate of long balls, making Carpenter a real upside play.