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The Tampa Bay Rays will continue their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Rays-Blue Jays prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Rays entered the weekend with a 22-22 record. Significantly, they were 8-5 over the first 13 games in May. Tampa Bay took two of three from the Boston Red Sox in their last series at Fenway Park. Now, they are looking to build on that as they continue their road trip.
The Blue Jays entered the weekend with a 19-23 record. Sadly, they were just 4-7 over the first 11 games in May. The Jays have not won a series since April 20. Ultimately, they are looking for some home cooking.
The Rays and Blue Jays split the first four games of the season series at Tropicana Field. Now, the two struggling American League East teams will duke it out, with each trying to get some good pitching.
Zach Eflin starts for the Rays. He is 3-4 with a 3.94 ERA. Recently, he tossed five innings while allowing three earned runs on six hits in a loss to the Boston Red Sox. But Eflin is 2-3 with a 6.43 ERA over six games against the Jays. Unfortunately, he struggled in his outing against the Jays earlier this season, going 5 2/3 innings while allowing six earned runs on six hits in a loss.
Kevin Gausman starts for the Blue Jays. He is 2-3 with a 4.95 ERA. Unfortunately, he lasted just three innings while allowing seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits while striking out six in a no-decision against the Minnesota Twins. Gausman is 8-8 with a 3.72 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 22 games against the Rays. Furthermore, he lasted 4 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out six in a no-decision earlier this season against the Rays.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Blue Jays Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +108
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+176)
Moneyline: -126
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
How to Watch Rays vs. Blue Jays
Time: 7:07 PM ET/4:07 PM PT
TV: Apple TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rays are displaying inconsistency at the plate. Currently, they are 13th in batting average and 11th in on-base percentage. The Rays are also 18th in runs, 23rd in home runs, and 20th in slugging percentage. Therefore, they need their hitters to find ways to produce.
Yandy Diaz is batting .253 with three home runs, 21 RBIs, and 20 runs. Also, he is hitting .271 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs, and 27 runs over 58 games against the Jays. Josh Lowe just returned from an injury not long ago. So far, he is hitting .300 with one home run, one RBI, and three runs over eight games.
Randy Arozarena is struggling, batting .156 with eight home runs, 18 RBIs, and 20 runs. Furthermore, he is hitting .271 with six home runs, 27 RBIs, and 30 runs over 38 games against the Jays. Isaac Paredes is doing well, batting .302 with eight home runs, 23 RBIs, and 20 runs. Despite that, he has not done well against the Jays in his career. Paredes is batting just .214 with seven home runs, 17 RBIs, and 15 runs over 29 games against Toronto.
The Rays are also struggling on the mound this season. Significantly, they are 21st in team ERA. The bullpen also has struggled mightily, ranking 25th in team ERA.
The Rays will cover the spread if their lineup can solve Gausman. Then, they need Eflin to pitch efficiently.
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays are not hitting the baseball well. At the moment, they are 21st in batting average and 29th in runs. The Jays are also 14th in on-base percentage, 26th in home runs, and 24th in slugging percentage. Thus, they need their lineup to find ways to get runs across the plate.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is batting .275 with four home runs, 19 RBIs, and 17 runs. Additionally, he is hitting .272 with 15 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 41 runs through 77 games against the Rays. Bo Bichette is batting .227 with two home runs, 15 RBIs, and 13 runs this season. Yet, he has done well against the Rays, hitting .281 with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and 31 runs through 66 games. George Springer is not doing well, batting .201 with three home runs, six RBIs, and 14 runs. Also, he has not done well against the Rays, hitting .193 with 14 home runs, 38 RBIs, and 37 runs over 72 games.
The Blue Jays have not done well from a pitching perspective. Currently, they are 25th in team ERA. The bullpen has also been awful, ranking 28th in team ERA.
The Blue Jays will cover the spread if their best offensive players can make things happen and drive runners across the plate. Then, they need Gausman to bounce back.
Final Rays-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
Both pitchers pitched poorly in the last time out. Substantially, both expect to bounce back. But Eflin has struggled against the Jays in his career. Conversely, Gausman has done significantly better. The pitching matchup gives a slight edge to the Blue Jays. Ultimately, we believe Gausman will have a strong outing and mystify this lineup. The Blue Jays get him enough runs to help cover the spread at home against the Rays.
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Final Rays-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (+176)
