The Oakland Athletics (74-60) and Toronto Blue Jays (70-62) open a three-game series at Rogers Centre Friday. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze the lines around the Athletics vs. Blue Jays odds with MLB picks and predictions.
LHP Sean Manaea is the projected starting pitcher for the Athletics. He is 8-9 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 over 142 2/3 IP through 26 starts.
- Allowed 5 earned runs on 3 home runs in his last start and has notched a 9.00 ERA (with 7 HR allowed) in his last three outings.
- Has been hurt by a .313 batting average on balls in play and a 15.9% home run/fly ball rate.
RHP Alek Manoah is the projected starting pitcher for the Blue Jays. He is 5-2 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, and 3.0 BB/9 over 74 1/3 IP across 14 starts.
- Owns a 1.87 home ERA on the season and a 1.50 mark over his three efforts at Rogers Centre.
- Has pitched through the decreased traffic of a .251 batting average on balls in play.
Athletics at Blue Jays odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 9:39 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Athletics +130 (bet $100 to win $130) | Blue Jays -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Athletics +1.5 (-160) | Blue Jays -1.5 (+130)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (O: -125 | U: +100)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Prediction
Blue Jays 6, Athletics 4
Money line (ML)
Oakland is on the second stop of a road trip that started with taking two of three games at the Detroit Tigers. The Athletics have won four of their last five games after losing six straight from Aug. 21-27. A slip by the A’s offense has led to a 6-11 mark since Aug. 15 have batted all of .233/.302/.394 (.696) during that stretch.
Toronto is 4-1 over its last five games. Overall, the Blue Jays have tended to fly under the radar with their won-loss record. The Jays going just 12-15 in 1-run games has led to a 5.0-4.1 runs-runs allowed profile not really being fully vested.
Toronto is the play in Friday’s series opener. Manoah has tremendous stuff, and the Jays offense leans way to the right which cuts into a problem area for Manaea. The Oakland southpaw has held lefty bats to a .534 OPS while allowing righties a .785 mark. Those figures fit a career trend.
BACK THE BLUE JAYS (-160).
FANTASY BASEBALL: Serious about winning your league? Sign up for BaseballHQ.com to dominate the competition. Subscribe now!
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
Toronto doesn’t tend to play in a large percentage of close games, so that should make run-line bettors feel a bit better about TORONTO -1.5 (+130).
Over/Under (O/U)
Assuming the Rogers Centre roof remains open on a clear day in Toronto, cooler weather and an inward breeze are in the forecast.
Most other analytic factors (pitching-vs.-expected, batting-vs.-expected) make for an Over lean, but the pricing isn’t attractive.
PASS.
For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]