The Toronto Blue Jays (25-23) play the 2nd contest of a 4-game divisional series with the Tampa Bay Rays (35-14) Tuesday at Tropicana Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Blue Jays vs. Rays odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Series tied 2-2
The Blue Jays are in the midst of a 5-game losing skid and have dropped 7 of the past 8 games overall to fall to just 2 games over .500. Toronto has also lost 3 in a row on the road since a victory at the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 7.
The Rays picked up a 6-4 win in the series opener as short ‘dogs. Tampa Bay has won 3 of the past 4 games and is 22-4 at home this season. The Over has cashed in 3 outings in a row and is 9-2 in its previous 11 contests.
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Blue Jays at Rays projected starters
RHP Jose Berrios vs. RHP Taj Bradley
Berrios (3-4, 4.61 ERA) makes his 10th start. He has a 1.25 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9 and 8.9 K/9 in 52 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 6 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 8 K in a 4-2 home loss vs. the New York Yankees Thursday
- Road splits: 1-3, 6.67 ERA (28 1/3 IP, 21 ER) with a .296 opponent batting average (OBA) in 5 starts
Bradley (3-0, 3.54 ERA) makes his 5th start. He has a 0.93 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9 and 12.0 K/9 in 20 1/3 IP innings.
- Last start: No-decision, 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K in a 3-2 road loss vs. the New York Mets Thursday
- Home splits: 2-0, 5.40 ERA (10 IP, 6 ER), .243 OBA in 2 starts
Blue Jays at Rays odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:24 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Blue Jays +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Rays -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Blue Jays +1.5 (-175) | Rays -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Blue Jays at Rays picks and predictions
Prediction
Rays 6, Blue Jays 4
Moneyline
The RAYS (-135) are worth a look, as they look to keep the Blue Jays down.
The Jays have dropped 5 in a row, and they’re 0-4 in the past 4 games against a right-handed starting pitcher. Toronto is 3-13 in the past 16 outings against AL East clubs, too.
The Rays have picked up 40 wins in their past 52 outings at Tropicana Field, which is a .769 winning percentage. Tampa has also won 4 of the past 5 against teams with a winning record.
Run line/Against the spread
The RAYS -1.5 (+145) are worth playing lightly on the run line. In 3 of Tampa Bay’s last 4 wins, the Rays have won by 2 or more runs.
Not only have the Blue Jays dropped 5 in a row, and 7 of the past 8 outings, Toronto has lost all but one of them by 2 or more runs.
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Over/Under
The OVER 8.5 (-115) is the lean in Game 2 of this series.
The Over has cashed in 3 in a row for the Rays and has cashed in 9 of the past 11 games overall. The Over is 5-0 in their past 5 games inside the AL East and has cashed at a 7-1 clip in the past 8 games against winning teams. The Over is 7-2 in their past 9 vs. RHP, too.
The Over has hit in 8 of the past 10 road games for the Blue Jays and has gone 6-2 in their past 8 vs. RHP. The Over is 9-3 in the past 12 vs. AL East teams, too.
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