The Houston Astros head across the northern border to Canada to start a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Astros-Blue Jays prediction and pick.
The Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 3-2 to win the four-game series in Arlington. The game was scoreless until the seventh inning. Then, Yordan Alvarez broke the tie with an RBI single to put the Astros up 1-0. The Rangers tied the game up in their half of the seventh which lead to the eighth when Kyle Tucker came to the plate with a runner on base. Next, Tucker whacked a two-run bomb to right field for a two-run home run. It was his fourth of the season. The Astros used Rafael Montero to close the game, and he allowed a one-out solo home run by Corey Seager to trim the lead to one. Ultimately, he held on, getting two more outs for the save. The Astros are 10-9 and in a third-place tie in the AL West.
The Blue Jays shut out the Boston Red Sox to win the four-game series. Alejandro Kirk delivered the only run with an RBI single to left that scored Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Alek Manoah tossed seven innings, not allowing a run on three hits. Also, there was a stretch where Manoah retired 12 hitters in a row. The best chance for the Sox came in the seventh inning when they had a runner on third with one out. Ultimately, Manoah shut down the next two hitters to quash the threat. The Blue Jays are 13-7 and in second place in the AL East.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Astros-Blue Jays MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Astros-Blue Jays Odds
Astros: +1.5 (-192)
Blue Jays: -1.5 (+158)
Over: 8.5 (-102)
Under: 8.5 (-120)
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Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Houston will send Jose Urquidy to the hill for the opener. Urquidy is 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in 2022. Also, he faced the Jays last weekend, allowing two earned runs on six hits through 5 2/3 innings of work. However, Urquidy also allowed a home run, which marked the third game in a row he gave up the long ball. He will try and prevent the Blue Jays from adding to the home run tally while also getting ahead in the count to establish better situations.
Alvarez has struggled this season, as he is batting .235. However, he also has hit four home runs and went 6 for 13 in the four-game series against Texas. Alvarez could be heating up, and he will look to build on that momentum in the opener against Toronto. Additionally, Houston hopes Alex Bregman bounces back. He is batting .250 with three home runs but has gone hitless over his last two games. Also, Bregman went 1 for 13 in the series against the Rangers. Now, he will look to bounce back and replicate his 5 for 10 effort from last weekend. Chas McCormick has been a solid leadoff hitter and will look to continue to build on his .278 average. Houston is still without Jose Altuve, who will be out for at least another week.
The Astros will cover the spread if Urquidy can give them a decent start while not allowing the Blue Jays to take him deep. In addition to Urquidy, the Astros need Bergman to bounce back and Alvarez to keep the pace to cover for Altuve's absence.
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
Toronto will roll with Yusei Kikuchi in the series opener. He is o-1 with a 3.75 ERA in his first season with the Jays. Now, he hopes to secure his first win. He faced the Astros last weekend, allowing two earned runs on three hits over 3 2/3 innings. However, Kikuchi also allowed five walks. He needs to cut down on the walks and keep the ball in the park as he has allowed two home runs over three starts. The Jays could help their starter out if their sluggers Gurriel, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette strike.
Guerrero is leading the Jays with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Additionally, he clobbered the Astros last weekend, going 6 for 11 with an RBI. Bichette has struggled, batting .212 with two home runs and eight RBIs. He is well below his career batting average of .298 and will look to pick it up against the Astros. The Toronto bullpen has been average in 2022, ranking 16th in team ERA. However, they bounced back last night after a horrible outing on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays will cover the spread if Kikuchi gives them a quality start and the bats power up. In addition to that, the Jays need a strong performance from their bullpen to ensure a win.
Final Astros-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
It will be the second straight weekend these teams meet as they faced off in Houston last week. Neither starting pitcher strikes fear into the hearts of hitters. However, the Houston offense has mustered six runs over two games, and the Toronto offense has managed two. Also, the teams combined for less than eight runs in two of the three games last weekend. The under seems like it is a sure thing until the offenses respond accordingly.
Final Astros-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Under 8.5 (-120)
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