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The Toronto Blue Jays were in an inopportune spot two games into their previous series against the Orioles, losing both by a combined score of 17-3. It wouldn't have been a surprise if they got swept after a poor start to the season, but Toronto salvaged the series with back-to-back one-run wins. The Oakland Athletics haven't been much better, losing five of their last seven games to the Rays, Braves, and Mariners. The Blue Jays won four of six games over the Athletics last season. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Blue Jays-Athletics prediction and pick.
Blue Jays-Athletics Projected Starters
Chris Bassitt vs. Luis Medina
Chris Bassitt (6-6) with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.
Last Start: vs. Pittsburgh, 5 IP, 7 SO, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 ER
2024 Road Splits: (2-3) with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.
Luis Medina (0-0) with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP.
Last Start: @ Atlanta, 5 2/3 IP, 6 SO, 2 H, 2BB, 0 ER
2024 Home Splits: No games at home yet this season.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays vs. Athletics Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+122)
Moneyline: -134
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-146)
Moneyline: +114
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
How to Watch Blue Jays vs. Athletics
Time: 9:40 PM ET/6:40 PM PT
TV: NBCSCA, Sportsnet
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays are starting to heat up, and it's hard to handicap how Medina will fare in his second outing. He looked good in his first start against the Braves, but there will now be more scouting and knowledge about the Athletics young starter. The Blue Jays hit well generally against the Athletics, as they had 6+ runs in four of six games last season. If the Blue Jays can replicate that in this series, they'll be able to outscore the Athletics and their 3.9 runs/nine over their last five games.
Bassitt will return to Oakland for the second time after a lengthy tenure with the Athletics. He returned in 2022 with the Mets, throwing eight innings of two-run ball. It would have been hard for him to improve on that outing last season, but he did, going eight innings with just one run allowed. It seems like Bassitt enjoys pitching at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, and this will be his last opportunity to do it with Oakland moving to Sacramento for the next three seasons.
Why The Athletics Will Cover The Spread/Win
Who knows what version of the Blue Jays will show up in Oakland? The Blue Jays are one of the most inconsistent teams in baseball, as they have good offensive games, and then the bats go silent again for a short stretch. Luis Medina could excel again in this matchup against the Blue Jays, and if he can outduel Chris Bassitt, it will go a long way for him and the future of this Athletics' rotation until he gets too expensive and ends up on the trade block.
Final Blue Jays-Athletics Prediction & Pick
The Blue Jays bats have a history of waking up on the road this season, with 4.1 runs/nine and a .314 on-base percentage. The Athletics, unsurprisingly, hit poorly in one of the worst hitting ballparks in the majors, as they average just 3.1 runs/nine and a .279 on-base percentage.
It's hard to ignore Chris Bassitt's dominance in Oakland against the Athletics, and you can trust him a lot more than an untested rookie making his second career start.
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Final Blue Jays-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays ML (-134) & Under 7.5 (-105)
