MLB Baseball Betting: Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals

The Toronto Blue Jays are back in good form having won 7 of 10 and have cut the Baltimore Orioles’ lead atop the AL East to just 1 game. Both teams are in action on Thursday night so depending on the outcome Toronto could finish play in a tie for the divisional lead. Baltimore has won 3 straight but are just 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Boston Red Sox are 3 games back in third place and the not quite dead yet New York Yankees are 7.5 games back in fourth place. Kansas City has been in freefall lately and have lost 7 of their last 10 games and 10 of their last 14.

Toronto will start recently acquired Francisco Liriano and don’t be surprised if he’s effective right out the gate for his new team. He struggled in Pittsburgh this season–the Pirates lost 12 of his 21 starts with Liriano putting up a 5.46 ERA and a 1.619 WHIP. Lefthanders changing leagues has been a favorite situation of ‘wise guys’ for a long time now and the Royals are nothing special at all against left handed pitching. Really, their offense is ‘nothing special’ in any situation especially lately–the Roayls are hitting .194 and averaging 2.1 runs per game in their last 7 contests.

Kansas City will start right hander Dillon Gee who has been hit hard in limited action this season. The Royals have lost 5 of his 7 starts including 3 of 4 at home. They’ve also lost his last three assignments. Gee has a 6.35 ERA and a 1.794 WHIP overall, a 6.63 ERA and a 1.947 WHIP at home and a 6.75 ERA and 1.772 WHIP in his last three. That’s consistency, but not exactly the kind you’re looking for if you’re managing a baseball team.

The Blue Jays swept the Royals in a three game series at the Rogers Centre earlier this season. Kansas City has actually fared well at home against the Jays winning 7 of the last 9 meetings. At this point, however, it’s just not possible to back the Royals who aren’t really doing anything well. Toronto is in good form and has clobbered right handed pitching this season. Don’t expect that Gee will be very hard to hit while the ‘left handers changing leagues’ angle could portent a good game from the Jays’ Liriano.

BET TORONTO BLUE JAYS -125 OVER KANSAS CITY ROYALS