The Boston Red Sox will take on their division rival Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The action will begin at 4:07 p.m. ET and New England Sports Network will showcase the game.
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Odds
Oddsmakers are listing Boston (-130) as the favorite over Toronto (+120). The total is sitting at 9 runs and gamblers can take the over for -105 and the under for -115. Gamblers can also bet on the games runline with the most recent odds standing at Red Sox -1.5 runs (+115) and Blue Jays 1.5 runs (-135).
The Blue Jays are 21-18 SU and 20-18 ATS. They’ve gained 0.5 units for moneyline bettors and 2.0 units against the spread (ATS). Toronto has a 3-5 ATS mark over its last seven games and the under has hit in three of those seven. The Red Sox have gone 26-12 SU this year and are 18-19 ATS. Overall, the teams gained 10.1 units for moneyline gamblers through the early portions of the season, but have lost 1.9 units ATS. Boston has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the under has cashed in four of those seven.
Blue Jays games have an over/under record of 17-16-5 so far in 2018. Red Sox games have gone over 19 times, gone under 17 times and pushed on one occasion.
Left-hander David Price will get the nod for Boston. Price is 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA and 32 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Blue Jays this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Blue Jays are putting the ball in the right hand of Marco Estrada (2-2, 5.21 ERA), who has 29 strikeouts and 14 walks as well as a 1.45 WHIP. Estrada is 0-1 with five strikeouts and a 9.00 ERA across one starts against Boston this year.
Boston’s pitchers have allowed 3.8 runs per game and its starters own a 3.50 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 9.80 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.87, along with a K-per-9 of 10.13.
The Red Sox offense has slashed .266/.331/.455 on its way to 5.5 runs scored per game this season, including 5.2 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.4 per game over the teams last five outings (2-3 SU).
Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez have led Boston’s hitters. Betts is hitting .346/.430/.772 with 13 home runs, 27 RBIs, 39 runs and five steals, while Martinez has a .343 average with nine homers, 30 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Maintaining a slash line of .255/.299/.588 across 177 plate appearances, Martinez didn’t do as well batting against righties on the road last season (compared to his total season line of .303/.376/.690).
For the home team, Toronto’s pitching staff has given up 4.7 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starters have an ERA of 5.49, a WHIP of 1.51 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.2. The bullpen has a solid ERA of just 2.80, a WHIP of 1.29 and a K/9 of 9.2. In 18 divisional games, Blue Jays starters have an ERA of 4.66 and the bullpens ERA is 2.11.
The Toronto hitters have produced 4.9 runs per outing, including 3.5 per game against divisional foes and 3.0 per game over their last five. The team has hit .210/.258/.365 over its last five contests and is 3-2 SU during that span.
The Blue Jays hitters have been led by outfielders Kevin Pillar and Curtis Granderson. Pillar is slashing .318/.360/.541 with four home runs, 17 RBIs, 24 runs and seven stolen bases, while Granderson’s line is .276/.444/.487 with three homers, 13 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
Compared to his overall season slash line of .255/.300/.403, Pillar enjoyed batting against lefties at home last season, slashing .333/.364/.583 over 77 such plate appearances.
The Red Sox have gained 10.4 units and are 15-13 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in 16 of those games, compared to 11 that’ve gone under against right-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Blue Jays have lost 0.8 units and are 9-5 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The overs hit in six of those games, as opposed to six which went under the total.
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Red Sox, ATS Winner – Red Sox, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- Toronto has recorded 19.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 17.0 over its last five.
- The Red Sox have hit 20 home runs in their last 10 games. The Blue Jays have hit 13 over their last 10.
