Follow Us
Subscribe
A premier AL East showdown is on the horizon as the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles will do battle on the diamond this evening. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Blue Jays-Orioles prediction and pick will be unveiled.
Winners of five straight including the first two of the series against the Orioles, Toronto has only increased their lead over Baltimore in the division while maintaining a strong grip on the rest of the American League for the top Wild Card spot. At 75-59, the Blue Jays also still remain in the hunt for the division and only trail the Yankees by 5.5 games. On the mound for Toronto in this one will be RHP Mitch White, who is 1-5 with a 4.67 ERA.
As for the Orioles, Baltimore has undergone a resurgence of a season after losing more than 100 games a year ago as they currently sit at a well above-average record of 71-61. Even more so, but the O's are only 4.5 games back of a postseason spot. In the midst of a three-game skid, Baltimore will call upon righty Kyle Bradish, who sports a 3-5 record and 5.17 ERA.
Here are the Blue Jays-Orioles MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Orioles Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+146)
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 9 (+102)
Under: 9 (-124)
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
One of the more dangerous teams in all of baseball that isn't leading their division, Toronto proposes a large threat to whoever they play against. Not only are the Blue Jays on a five-game winning streak, but they have also won seven of eight games in a time of the year that is very important. Without a doubt, the Blue Jays are here to stay and have proven that they are a playoff team that not many teams want to match up with.
When it comes to Toronto's matchup versus Baltimore on Tuesday night, the Blue Jays could cover the spread by simply out-slugging Orioles. On the year, few teams have been able to replicate the success at the plate that Toronto has been able to accomplish. Even during the pre-season, baseball analysts and experts were high on the offensive firepower that the Blue Jays would be able to possess. Fast forward six months later, and Toronto has certainly lived up to expectations. As a whole, the Blue Jays have scored the sixth-most runs in the league, and have top-five marks when it comes to batting average, on-base percentage, and even slugging percentage. Be on the lookout for SS Bo Bichette to continue his prowess at the plate, as the Blue Jays stud mashed three home runs in the win yesterday.
Other than the offense taking control, the pitching arms may provide a stellar boost for this squad as well. Even though starter Mitch White has pitched in three major league seasons, this will be the first time that he will square off with the Orioles. White hasn't won a start since May 17th, so a strong start in this one could go a long way in not just the Blue Jays' confidence but his as well.
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
Whether the Orioles reach the playoffs or not for the first time since 2016, fans of this team should be absolutely eccentric about what the future holds for this ball club. After losing a whopping 110 games during the 2021 season, the Orioles have looked like an entirely different team nearly 12 months later in large part due to above-average efforts with the sticks and some good overall collective efforts from pitchers on the mound.
In order to keep pace in the playoff race and to nip a three-game losing streak in the butt before it becomes too lengthy, the Orioles need to return to the basics. More importantly, the bats have lacked a certain amount of pop at the dish to keep them in games. During the losing skid, Baltimore has only generated seven runs total, which is on average just under 2.5 runs per game. For a team that has the 14th best slugging percentage in the league at .393. Not to mention, but premier hitters like centerfielder Cedric Mullens and right-fielder Anthony Santander won't be held in check for too much longer. On the year, Mullins leads the club with a .260 batting average while Santander currently has the most home runs and RBIs with 27 and 77 apiece.
Pitching-wise, this is where the Orioles should have an advantage with Bradish on the bump. While Bradish's numbers don't jump out at you on paper, he has at least had some past experience in going up against a lethal Blue Jays lineup. Because of this, Bradish should be able to make better adjustments on the fly as the game moves along.
Final Blue Jays-Orioles Prediction & Pick
This divisional matchup has the makings to be one of the more entertaining games of the night! After the Blue Jays swiped the first two games of the series, expect the Orioles to come out with their hair on fire. Baltimore will play just desperate enough to help them cover the spread this evening.
Final Blue Jays-Orioles Prediction & Pick: Orioles +1.5 (-176)