Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview
The Rays and Blue Jays face off in an AL East matchup at 3:07 PM ET at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Zach Eflin will start for the Rays, while the Blue Jays are starting Kevin Gausman. Toronto is favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -135 compared to the Rays at +116. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.
Tampa Bay comes into the game on a three-game winning streak, and they are 24-22 overall, while the Blue Jays are 19-24 and have won two straight. BSSUN will be televising this one, and the Rays are currently 3rd in the AL East, while the Blue Jays are 5th.
Check out BetCoco for Toronto Blue Jays – Tampa Bay Rays odds
Toronto Blue Jays Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Rays are 4-1. This includes going 5-0 vs. the runline.
- On the opposing side, the Blue Jays have a 2-3 (SU) record, along with a 3-2 record in their last five home contests.
- As the favorite, the Blue Jays are 3-7 over their last ten games, including going 2-8 vs. the runline.
- The Rays have a 6-4 straight-up record and a 7-3 record vs. the runline over their previous ten games as the underdog.
Tampa Bay picked up a 4-3 road win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a three-run 6th inning and scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 8th. As for the Blue Jays, they scored their only three runs in the 8th and 9th innings.
Chris Bassitt got the start for the Blue Jays, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up three runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued three walks. Tyler Alexander put together a good outing for the Rays, getting the win after going 7 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs.
In the lineup, Tampa Bay was led by Richie Palacios, Yandy Diaz, and Jonny DeLuca, as they were the only three Rays hitters to have more than one hit. Palacios and Diaz each drove in two runs. Davis Schneider had the big hit for the Blue Jays, going 1/3 with a home run and two RBI.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
The Rays are 24-22 overall and trail the Yankees by seven games in the AL East. Currently, they are 3rd in the division and have gone 8-7 in divisional matchups. Tampa Bay has won three straight games, and they are 6-4 over their last 10.
At home, the Rays have gone 14-12 this year and are an even 10-10 on the road. As the road underdog, the Rays are 5-4 this year, and they have won three straight as the road underdog. Tampa Bay has an overall series record of 6-6-2 this year.
The Rays have been a strong bet against the run line on the road this season, going 11-9. They have covered in five straight games and are 11-5 as underdogs. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.5, while it is -3.9 in losses.
With the over/under line set at 7.5 runs, the Rays and Blue Jays combined for just seven runs, falling under the total. This was just the second time this season that the Rays have played a game with an over/under line set at 7.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and they have a 24-21 over/under record on the year.
Tampa Bay is sending right-hander Zach Eflin to the mound today vs. the Blue Jays. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 3-4 with a 3.91 ERA. Eflin’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.13. In his last outing, he gave up three earned runs in five innings of work vs. the Red Sox. Eflin picked up the win in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Eflin has made four quality starts this year.
Isaac Paredes has been a bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is batting .303 and leads the team with eight home runs. His 24 RBIs are also the best mark on the team and 15th in the league. Randy Arozarena is also among the league leaders in homers (8), but he is batting just .161 for the season. However, he has gone 7/28 in his last seven games.
Over his last six games, Josh Lowe has gone 6/25 with two homers and three RBIs. Yandy Diaz has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 10/31 with two homers and seven RBIs. Amed Rosario is currently on a three-game hitting streak.
Toronto is 5th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 10.5 games. Overall, they are 19-24 and have lost two straight games. The Blue Jays dropped the final game of their series vs. the Red Sox and lost the series opener to the Rays.
At home, the Blue Jays are 9-10 this year compared to 10-14 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, going 14-11, and they are 5-13 as the underdog. Toronto’s overall series record is 4-7-3, and they have dropped three straight series at home.
When the Blue Jays win, they do so by an average of 2.7 runs per game, while in losses, they lose by an average of 4.2 runs per game. Overall, they have a run differential of -1.1 runs per game, which is also their run line record. Their run line record is 19-24, with a 7-12 mark at home and 12-12 on the road. They have failed to cover the run line in their last two home games and are 12-13 against the run line as the favorite and 7-11 as the underdog.
With a combined run average of 8.3, the Toronto Blue Jays have seen their games go over the over/under line of 7.5 runs in 74.4% of their games this season. They have an over/under record of 17-25 and have gone over the line in four of their last five games. The Blue Jays’ over/under record when the line is set at 7.5 runs is 4-5.
Toronto is starting right-hander Kevin Gausman today vs. the Rays. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 2-3 with a 4.95 ERA. Gausman’s WHIP for the season is 1.51, and opponents are batting .290 this year. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in three innings of work vs. the Twins. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Gausman’s ERA at home is 8.95 compared to 8.96 on the road.
Over his last 10 games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire at the plate, going 15/39 with six runs scored and eight RBIs. For the season, he is batting .268 with four homers. Davis Schneider and Daulton Varsho have also been solid at the plate, as Schneider is batting .260 with five homers, and Varsho’s seven homers are the most on the team, but he is hitting just .211.
Looking at the team’s offensive numbers, the Blue Jays are 29th in the MLB in runs per game at just 3.6. They are also near the bottom of the league in most other key offensive categories, including batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. As a team, they are batting just .227.
Our pick for this Rays vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line at -135. We have the Blue Jays winning this one by a final score of 6-5, giving us some wiggle room with the over/under line sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Kevin Gausman finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for fifth among all starters today. As for Zach Eflin, we have him finishing with five K’s, which ranks him 16th. Offensively, the Blue Jays are projected to finish with 10 hits compared to the Rays with nine.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Tips
- Take the Blue Jays on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Rays (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Toronto Blue Jays Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Chad Green | Out | Shoulder |
| Bowden Francis | Out | Forearm |
| Yariel Rodríguez | Out | Back |
Tampa Bay Rays Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Devenski | Out | Knee |
| Brandon Lowe | Out | Oblique |
| Wander Franco | Out | Personal |
| Shane Baz | Out | Elbow/Oblique |
| Drew Rasmussen | Out | Arm |
| Taylor Walls | Out | Hip |
| Jeffrey Springs | Out | Elbow |
| Colin Poche | Out | Back |
| Shane McClanahan | Out | Elbow |
| Jacob Waguespack | Out | Shoulder |
| Ryan Pepiot | Out | Lower Leg |
