The Toronto Blue Jays will take a rare road trip to the Desert to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Blue Jays-Diamondbacks prediction and pick.
Blue Jays-Diamondbacks Projected Starters
Yariel Rodriguez vs. Ryne Nelson
Yariel Rodriguez (1-3) with a 3.68 ERA …
Last Start: 6.0 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K's
2024 Road Splits: 15.1 IP, 1-2, 4.70 ERA
Ryne Nelson (6-6) with a 5.08 ERA …
Last Start: 6.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 1 BB, 5 K's
2024 Home Splits: 35.0 IP, 3-3, 6.69 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Diamondbacks Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: +108
Arizona Diamondbacks: -1.5 (+155)
Moneyline: -126
Over: 9 (-115)
Under: 9 (-105)
How to Watch Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks
Time: 9:40 ET/6:40 PT
TV: MLB.TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
While the Blue Jays happen to be seven games under .500 at 43-50, they have managed to come out victorious in four of their previous five games. Although Toronto has dug themselves quite the hole as they trail the Baltimore Orioles by 14 games and are also in dead-last place within the AL East, the Blue Jays are attempting to get back in the thick of the postseason race. Can they continue to trend in a positive direction or will mediocrity once again be in their future?
If there's one area of this upcoming contest where the Blue Jays feel the most confident in, look no further than Yariel Rodriguez. Fresh off a stellar outing in which he allowed only one hit in six innings of work, it is the 27-year-old who could be on the cusp of getting hot. In addition, the crafty righty from Cuba doesn't often walk hitters and possesses phenomenal control when on the mound. Overall, Toronto has gone a combined 2-3 in Rodriguez' last five starts.
Outside of the fact that the ‘Jays will be dependent on Rodriguez to keep D-Backs hitters off-balanced, a dynamic day at the plate from slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be just what the doctor ordered. Although trade deadline rumors continue to swirl around whether or not the Blue Jays will end up shopping their biggest star to a contender, he will at least continue to be a thorn in the side of opposing pitching as long as he's in town.
Why The Diamondbacks Will Cover The Spread/Win
After splitting a four-game set against the Atlanta Braves, the Diamondbacks march into the middle of July with an identical 47-47. Obviously, Arizona hasn't quite lived up to last year's NL pennant-winning team. However, not all is lost, and the D-Backs sit just a single game out of the Wild Card Race. Does this year's version of the Diamondbacks have what it takes to embark on another magical run like last season? Only time will tell.
Most recently, it has been Arizona's brutal scheduled slate that has not been doing them any favors. To summarize, Arizona should be feeling relieved to be squaring off with a last-place team. Still, the wild game of baseball will force the Diamondbacks to bring their A-game no matter the circumstances.
To start, Arizona must follow suit from their recent triumphs by making it a priority to record some solid run production in the beginning frames. Despite only one run crossing the plate in the team's 1-0 win over the Braves on Thursday, Arizona's bats boast the proper potency for the offense to get busy in the run department. Luckily, the squad is the sixth-highest-scoring team in the majors and could be in line to inflict some damage considering Toronto possesses a collective 4.33 ERA. Barring an anomaly in regards to the Blue Jays pitching ways, this could end up turning into a major advantage for the D-Backs to exploit.
All in all, don't be surprised if playing within the confines of their home ballpark to also be a main reason why the D-Backs could end up covering the spread. Ultimately, Toronto is set to play in their third-consecutive road series and they may be too fatigued to be competitive in the scorching heat of Arizona.
Final Blue Jays-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick
Both teams find themselves in an all-out battle to get back into pole positioning of their respective playoff races. However, the Diamondbacks are the more talented team and should be energized by a packed home crowd.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Blue Jays-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick: Diamondbacks -1.5 (+155)
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