The Toronto Blue Jays (62-51) and Los Angeles Angels (57-58) close out a four-game series Thursday evening. First pitch at Angel Stadium is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze the lines around the Blue Jays vs. Angels odds with MLB picks and predictions.
RHP Jose Berrios is the projected starting pitcher for the Blue Jays. He is 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 9.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 through 133 2/3 IP spanning 22 starts.
- Making his third start for the Jays after being acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. Has yielded just 1 ER acrss 12 IP through two starts for Toronto.
- Current Los Angeles batters own an aggregate .457 OPS against him.
RHP Shohei Ohtani is the projected starter for the Angels. He is 6-1 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 over 86 IP through 16 starts.
- Owns a 1.79 ERA through 50 1/3 IP at home.
- Has issued just 1 BB against 23 K over his last four starts with a 1.38 ERA and 0.69 WHIP over that span.
Blue Jays at Angels odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 1:30 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Blue Jays -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | Angels +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Against the spread/ATS: Blue Jays -1.5 (+115) | Angels +1.5 (-145)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Prediction
Blue Jays 5, Angels 3
Money line (ML)
The Blue Jays are 12-3 over their last 15 games with a 2.51 team ERA and .833 OPS over that stretch.
The Angels lost Wednesday’s game 10-2 and L.A. is 1-4 with a minus-17 run differential over its last 5 games. The Halos offense has really sputtered through much of the second half with a .621 OPS since July 19. That surging Toronto pitching is facing a Halos offense that has been struggling after being a top-10 unit over much of the first half of the season.
Expected ERA figures view Berrios and Ohtani as being very similar. For just about anyone coming into pitch after those two, peg an advantage to Toronto. With the offense added in, the BLUE JAYS (-140) have some value.
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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
Toronto is a robust 22-10 in games decided by 5-plus runs. Bettors wanting to put the risk in the differential and not the outlay may want to back the BLUE JAYS -1.5 (+115).
Over/Under (O/U)
Tab the series finale with a lean on the UNDER 8.5 (-107).
The pitching matchup is elite and the Statcast quality-of-contact figures for both clubs indicate their current run levels may be stretched out too much. Both have logged some favorable situational numbers held up by high batting averages on balls in play (the Angels in reaching base as leadoff batters, the Jays as batting with runners in scoring position).
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