With nearly 460 miles separating these two arch divisional rivals, the Baltimore Orioles will seek to even up the series at two apiece as they conclude their visit to “The Six” by squaring off with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Orioles-Blue Jays prediction and pick will be revealed.
Baltimore enters play with a fairly below-average 27-37 overall record through 54 games, as they occupy the last place spot in the AL East. At ten games under .500, the Orioles will need to turn it around quickly. Tasked with that responsibility on the rubber will be righty Tyler Wells, who is 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA.
Although they are still trailing the Yankees in first place by a full nine games, the Blue Jays will send out RHP Kevin Gausman in hopes that they can begin to eat away at New York's division lead one game at a time. So far in 2022, Gausman is 5-5 with a shiny 2.67 ERA.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Blue Jays-Orioles MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Blue Jays Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (+100)
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
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Why The Orioles Could Cover the Spread
On paper, the Orioles seem to be outmatched in multiple facets of the game on Thursday. However, anything can happen in the game of baseball, and Baltimore possesses some big bats in their lineup that can easily compete with what the Blue Jays have to offer out on the diamond.
While Baltimore may have the seventh-fewest runs in all of the sport, the Orioles still have some dudes who have been swinging hot bats. Look no further than first-baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who could end up being a huge contributor in possibly covering the spread after he crushed a pair of long balls on Wednesday and has increased his season home run total from ten to twelve in just one game.
Another name to keep your eye on at the plate is Trey Mancini, as there is a chance the 30-year-old slugger makes his return to the Orioles lineup after being sidelined by injury. On the year, Mancini is mashing a healthy .290 while also maintaining an impressive .797 OPS.
Pitching-wise, Baltimore has had similar struggles in comparison to their hitting numbers as a whole, and they will be relying on Wells heavily to navigate efficiently through a very potent Blue Jays lineup. While Wells has seen a combination of relief and starting roles in 2022, the 27-year-old California native needs to show improvement in his lifetime 10.80 ERA against Toronto if the Orioles want any chance in this one.
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover the Spread
It has become quite evident that the Blue Jays are beginning to peak at the right exact time, as Toronto has won 15 out of their last 20 matchups and is clicking on all cylinders.
Coming into the season, many considered the Blue Jays to possess all of the right pieces in order to contend for a title. Fast forward more than 52 games later, and Toronto is starving to prove to the baseball world that that still is the case.
One factor that stands out about this team is how incredibly balanced they appear to be. Yes, it may have taken a bit longer than expected to get the offense humming like it is capable of, but this roster is easily a top ten offensive and pitching unit statistically.
At the dish, you can't go wrong with any bat within this lineup, but it has been the scorching hot play of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and George Springer that has carried this Blue Jays squad of late. With a ten-game hitting streak under his belt, Gurriel is slashing .475 and has seven RBIs over that stretch. As for Springer, the Toronto outfielder was fresh off a 24-game 0n-base streak before going 0-5 on Wednesday.
The biggest storyline of this contest may be Kevin Gausman's first pitching appearance against his former team since he was dealt a few short years ago. Since Baltimore and he parted ways back in 2018, Gausman has gone on to play for four different teams and is having a tremendous year in his first campaign with the Blue Jays. Emotions will be running high for the 31-year-old, and if he can stay calm, cool, and collected, expect Toronto to have as good of a chance as any to cover the spread against their AL East rivals.
Final Orioles-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
The Orioles are certainly not as awful as people make them seem, but in a game where Gausman and the Blue Jays will have a bit more to prove, they are simply no match for Toronto in this one. Canada's lone MLB team gets the job done this afternoon!
Final Orioles-Blue Jays Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (-120)
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