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The meetings between these teams were few and far between before the MLB changed the schedule for more inter-league play and fewer divisional matchups. However, there's an intriguing trend, with the Blue Jays winning nine consecutive meetings since August 2017. The Jays swept the series in 2022 and 2023 in Pittsburgh and started this series with a 5-3 victory in extra innings. The Pirates have been in a mini-slump, losing five of their last seven games. Meanwhile, the Jays have a lot of ground to make up in the American League East but are 7-3 over their last ten, albeit in one of the weaker stretches of their schedule. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Blue Jays prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Pirates have yet to announce their starting pitcher in this game. Jared Jones looks to be the next man up, but he has just three days of rest after pitching in a doubleheader with Paul Skenes on May 29th. The Pirates may pitch him on short rest for a limited number of pitches, but they likely go with a bullpen day or a recall from the minors instead.
Chris Bassitt looks to be the starter for the Blue Jays, and he's been their most consistent pitcher this season. Bassitt has two consecutive scoreless outings and won three of his last four games. The two scoreless outings have come with 12 innings, ten hits, and two walks. Bassitt threw just 81 pitches in his previous outing, so he should be full steam ahead in this game.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Blue Jays Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +128
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -152
Over: 8.5 (+102)
Under: 8.5 (-124)
How to Watch Pirates vs. Blue Jays
Time: 3:07 PM ET/12:07 PM PT
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Sportsnet (Canada)
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays have a track record of bad managerial decisions, which should help the Pirates take advantage in this game. The Jays got deep into their bullpen on Friday night, then it was announced that Jordan Romano was on the injured list with an elbow injury. John Schneider struggles to make the right managerial decisions when he has a healthy pitching staff, but the loss of Romano and four pitchers on the injured list doesn't look good for Toronto's staff.
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays' offensive form to start the season wouldn't have given much reason to back Toronto against Jared Jones. However, the Jays offense over their last ten games gives a reason to believe in them. The Blue Jays have a .338 on-base percentage over that span, averaging five runs/nine.
Bassitt should still be in form from his last two starts, as the Pirates have been average over their past ten games. The Pirates have a .297 on-base percentage with 4.5 runs/nine. The Blue Jays also have an advantage in the bullpen, as their relievers have a 3.30 ERA over their last three games. It's been the depth of the bullpen getting it done, as some of their high-leverage relievers struggled recently.
Final Pirates-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
The Pirates' pitching situation has a lot of question marks going into this game. They have no obvious pitcher to recall from the minors and their next two pitchers in line have only three days of rest. The Pirates may go with a bullpen day, which would be music to the ears for the Blue Jays, as Pittsburgh's relievers have a 4.49 ERA overall and a 6.75 mark over their last three games.
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Final Pirates-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays ML (-152)
