The Toronto Blue Jays (25-22) take on the Tampa Bay Rays (34-14) in first game of a four game set Monday night. This game will continue our MLB odds series as we give you a Blue Jays-Rays prediction and pick while letting you know how to watch, as well.
The Blue Jays are currently on a four game losing streak after being swept over the weekend by the Baltimore Orioles. Being in the AL East, the Blue Jays can not afford to be swept by division opponents. Toronto is still a very good team, though. They are top half of the league in batting average and OPS. On the mound, the Blue Jays have a 4.01 ERA which is 11th best in the MLB.
The Rays are still the best team in baseball, but they are slowing down a bit. They are coming off a weekend series win against the Milwaukee Brewers, though. Tampa Bay is second in the MLB in batting average and runs scored while leading the league in home runs and OPS. On the mound, the Rays are second in the MLB in ERA.
These teams have already played this season in Toronto. The Blue Jays took two of three games in that series. Bo Bichette had seven hits in the three games while George Springer's only hit was a home run. For the Rays, Wander Franco and Josh Lowe had four hits each in the three games. Lowe added a home run along with Christian Bethancourt and Taylor Walls.
The starting pitchers for Monday's game are Chris Bassitt and Trevor Kelley.
Here are the Blue Jays-Rays MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Rays Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+152)
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-184)
Over: 8.5 (-118)
Under: 8,5 (-104)
How To Watch Blue Jays vs. Rays
TV: SportsNet Canada, Bally Sports Sun
Stream: MLB TV Subscription
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
Bassitt is pitching extremely well this season. Through 56 innings, Bassitt has a 3.05 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. In those innings, he has struck out 48 while allowing just 34 hits. This gives opposing hitters a batting average of .175 off Bassitt. The Rays are one of the best hitting teams in the MLB, so it is going to be a battle. Clearly Bassitt does not give up a lot of hits, so he should be able to keep the Rays in check during this game. You can't score if you don't hit, so Bassitt matchups well with the Rays.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Rays are using an opener, but their bullpen is good. The second guy to come in will be the pitcher that is stretched out and we are unsure of who that is right now. It could be Josh Fleming, though. Nonetheless, the Rays need to keep the Blue Jays from scoring. With Bassitt on the mound, the Rays will not score to many runs. If Tampa Bay can hold the Blue Jays down, they will put themselves in position to cover the spread. As mentioned, Tampa Bay has the second-best ERA in the MLB, so their pitchers are very good. The Rays will cover this spread if they hold the Blue Jays to three or four runs.
Final Blue Jays-Rays Prediction & Pick
This game could be pretty low scoring. Expect the Blue Jays to cover the spread, though. Chris Bassitt is very good and throwing the ball well lately. With him on the mound, the Blue Jays are hard to beat.
Final Blue Jays-Rays Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (+162), Under 8.5 (-104)
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