MLB Baseball Betting: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays
The Toronto Blue Jays head to central Florida today to take on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Jays won game one of this early week series last night and will try to get another victory today. Tampa has dominated Toronto in head to head play this season–even with Monday’s defeat the Rays are 6-2 +4.3 units against the Blue Jays this season including a 3-1 record at home. The Toronto victory on Monday night did cut the Rays’ lead in the American League East down to a single game over the New York Yankees and two games over the Blue Jays. The division is very tightly contested with fourth place Baltimore just 2.5 games out. Only hapless Boston is really out of the conversation entirely at this point but even the Red Sox are just 8.5 games out of first place.
Tampa Bay has been in stellar form of late so they’ve got to be frustrated that despite winning games they can’t extend any kind of margin in the AL East race. The Rays have now lost two straight games but before that had won 9 of 11. Of course it’s not easy to extend a lead when your divisional rivals are also playing well and Toronto has won 9 of their last 13 games. Oddly enough, Tampa Bay has been much better on the road than at home–they’re 21-12 on the road and just 19-20 at home. Toronto’s just the opposite going 23-14 at home and 15-20 on the road.
The Jays will start R.A. Dickey–the knuckleballer is incredibly streaky but when he’s in good form he’s almost unhittable. He’s been very sharp lately with a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts–all Toronto wins. He’ll be opposed by Chris Archer who has been exceptional this season with a 2.18 ERA and Tampa has a 10-5 record in his 15 starts. They’re just 4-4 when he starts at home, however. He’s been looking good lately with a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts–all Tampa wins.
This matchup is a lot closer than the line on the game would suggest. Both teams are in excellent form, both pitchers are in excellent form and the AL East is obviously very evenly matched. For that reason we’ll take the underdog.
BET TORONTO BLUE JAYS +150 OVER TAMPA BAY RAYS
