Blue Jays vs Rangers Betting Odds: Toronto Favored in Opener
Toronto Visits Texas in Key 3-Game Series
The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Texas Rangers for a three-game series beginning Friday. The Blue Jays vs Rangers betting odds have Toronto -142 with Kevin Gausman in Friday’s series opener against Martin Perez. Texas is 4-0 at home this season when Perez starts.
The Blue Jays are 38-32 and are 1.5 games out of a wild card spot. Toronto is 19-19 on the road this season and 6-6 when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. Toronto’s team batting average of .265 is third best in MLB. The Blue Jays are No. 11 in runs scored, so Toronto isn’t getting the clutch hits.
Toronto’s pitching has been solid, with the Blue Jays No. 10 in team ERA. The Blue Jays have converted 22 of 29 save opportunities.
The Rangers are 42-25 on the season and 22-11 at home. Texas leads the American League West by 3.5 games over Houston. The Rangers are 29-17 against right-handed starters.
Texas had the highest batting average in MLB at .272. Texas has cooled off a little, going 5-5 in its last 10 games. If not for the Tampa Bay Rays having the longest win streak in baseball, the Rangers would be in the hunt for the league’s best record.
The Rangers have gotten decent pitching from its starters. The relief pitchers can be shaky at times. Texas has converted just 12 of 22 save opportunities.
Friday’s Game
Gausman has been solid for the Blue Jays, but hasn’t gotten a lot of run support. Toronto is scoring just 3.5 runs in his 14 starts. The Blue Jays are 8-6 with him on the mound and 3-4 when he starts on the road.
Texas is 3-3 as a home underdog this year, but 5-1 in totals. The Rangers are scoring 7.33 runs per game as a home dog. Perez won his only start as a home underdog and Texas is 9-4 when Perez starts. His numbers aren’t the greatest, but Texas has scored six or more runs in eight of his 13 starts.
The Blue Jays vs Rangers betting odds of Toronto -142 seem a bit high. The value is on the side of the home underdog in the opener.
Saturday’s Game
The Blue Jays have yet to name Saturday’s starting pitcher. The Rangers are expected to start Dane Dunning, who has been solid out of the bullpen. But Texas is just 3-4 when he starts. Dunning hasn’t reached the sixth inning in any of his last four starts.
The Blue Jays vs Rangers betting odds should see Dunning as the favorite here. He should be the better of the two starting pitchers, unless Toronto moves Chris Bassitt up from his scheduled start on Sunday. That isn’t likely to happen, however.
The Rangers are 16-9 following a loss this season. If Toronto wins Friday’s game, the Rangers should be worth a look in this spot.
Sunday’s Game
Texas will send ace Jon Gray to the mound to face off with Bassitt. The MLB odds will have Gray as a decent favorite. Texas is 7-5 when Gray starts despite allowing just 2.92 runs per game. The Rangers haven’t scored a lot when Gray pitches. In his six home starts, the Rangers have been shutout twice.
The Blue Jays are 8-6 with Bassitt on the hill, allowing 4.07 runs per game. On the road, Toronto has gone 4-4 in Bassitt’s starts, although they’re allowing 5.0 runs per game.
Texas appears to have the best chance to win this one. But the line is the key question in this one. If the Rangers are -140 or less, they’ll offer some value. If the line comes out any higher, it’s a bit tougher to pull the trigger on Texas.
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