The Blue Jays and Red Sox finish their series Thursday night! It’s time to continue our MLB odds series with a Blue Jays-Red Sox prediction and pick.
Toronto is looking for the 3-game sweep over their divisional rivals. The Jays are just a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2nd spot in the AL East. A win and a Rays loss to the Los Angeles Angels would see them jump them in the standings. They are (67-55) on the year which also has them second for the Wild Card.
The Red Sox are struggling right now. They sit at (60-64) which has them seven games out of a Wild Card spot. The season isn’t over just yet but they have to turn it around now if they want to make it to the postseason.
Here are the Blue Jays-Red Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Red Sox Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (-110)
Boston Red Sox: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 9 (-106)
Under: 9 (-114)
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
Starting for the Jays tonight is right-hander Kevin Gausman. Gausman is (9-9) on the year with a 2.99 ERA in 129.1 innings this season. He elevates his game on the road which should give the Blue Jays an advantage tonight. He is (6-3) with a 1.65 ERA in 71 innings away from Toronto. After struggling against the Cleveland Guardians two starts ago, he bounced back with a seven-inning shutout against the New York Yankees. He struck out seven and walked just one. The man from Toronto will be looking to continue his dominance on the road.
All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk finished last night’s game with three hits and a crucial RBI single in the 4th inning. His hitting is really benefitting this lineup that is stacked 1-9. With Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman, and Whit Merrifield as your 6-8 hitters, then you know you have a deep lineup. The top-four are all hitting over .275 on the year which means that they are constantly getting on base and opposing starters have to be at their best to get it done.
Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread
Starting for the Sox tonight is right-hander Kutter Crawford. With one of the coolest names in the game, the right-hander has nasty stuff. However, his last performance would make anyone question their game. He allowed nine runs off of 11 hits to the Baltimore Orioles last time out. He allowed three bombs and couldn’t get out of the fourth inning. He managed to pitch better against the Yankees two starts ago but honestly, anyone can right now. Kutter has shown that he can pitch a quality start so he will need to do that tonight if they want a chance to cover this spread.
The lineup is a bit damaged at the moment. Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story are banged up and missed the last game. Bobby Dalbec ended up starting at shortstop last night which shows their lack of depth right now with Christian Arroyo also hurt. It’s unclear how long Bogaerts will be out as he is dealing with a back issue. The lineup still has Alex Verdugo, JD Martinez, and Rafael Devers so there is enough power there to try and get to Gausman early.
Final Blue Jays-Red Sox Prediction & Pick
Sweeping a divisional rival is never easy. But the Jays have a good chance of doing that today. The Sox are banged up and struggling so ride with the Jays to cover this spread.
Final Blue Jays-Red Sox Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (-110)
