MLB Baseball Betting: Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have won three straight games and are making the AL East race tighter than it has been in weeks. The Jays are currently three games back of the first place Baltimore Orioles and 1/2 game back of the second place Boston Red Sox (who, obviously, are 2.5 games out of first). The Red Sox also won on Monday and the Orioles are playing Monday night so all records and standings are pending this result. Toronto has now won 6 of 10 while the Red Sox have won two straight and have split their last ten games.

Kansas City is treading water in the middle of the AL Central pack at the moment. They’ve lost two straight and have split their last 10 games. They’re 43-39 on the season leaving them 6.5 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians and 1 game back of the second place Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have taken over as the hottest team in the division winning 6 straight and 7 of 10. The Royals also have to keep their eye on the rear view mirror where the Chicago White Sox have found new life winning 3 straight and 7 of 10 and now trail Kansas City by just 1/2 game.

Kansas City will start Chris Young who has been mediocre at best and completely ineffective at worst this year. The Royals have lost 7 of his 12 starts but 5 of his 6 road starts. Overall, Young has a 6.71 ERA and a 1.621 WHIP but on the road his ERA balloons to 8.52 with a 1.815 WHIP. Kansas City has won two of his last three starts but Young’s numbers don’t show much improvement with a 6.57 ERA.

Toronto will counter with the enigmatic R.A. Dickey and the Blue Jays are still winless in the knuckleballer’s 2016 starts at the Rogers Centre (0-8 -9.5 units). Overall, they’ve won 5 of Dickey’s 17 starts (-7.8 units) as he’s posted a 4.21 ERA overall and a 5.14 ERA at home. They’ve lost two of his last three starts with Dickey putting up a 4.42 ERA and a 1.364 WHIP.

Monday’s game was the first meeting of the year between these two teams though their head to head numbers have been very even over the past few years. Over the last two seasons they’ve split 14 games with Kansas City backers earning +1.4 units. Over the last three seasons, KC has a 11-10 edge in games earning +2.7 units for their supporters. Neither pitcher in good form but we’d rather have our money on the more potent Blue Jay bats.

BET TORONTO BLUE JAYS -170 OVER KANSAS CITY ROYALS