Game 2 of Series Shaping Up to be a Pitcher’s Duel
After the Cleveland Guardians took game one of this four-game series by pummeling Jose Berrios for six runs, the Toronto Blue Jays just couldn’t muster up enough offense to overcome it. But game two looks like it could be a great pitcher’s duel as both teams send their best to the mound. The Blue Jays are struggling a bit with the bats, which is cause for concern, but they are also missing three critical bats in their lineup due to injuries and illness. Check the MLB lines to show a low-scoring game.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Blue Jays vs Guardians. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Blue Jays Offense Can’t Muster Enough to Overcome
With a young talented roster like the Toronto Blue Jays’, you wouldn’t think runs would be hard to come by when facing a starting pitcher with an ERA over 10. But then again, the MLB is full of parity from game to game. That’s why they play 162 games.
But they need to get it together. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. cannot be the only ones to do damage in the lineup. Cavan Biggio is out for the time being on the COVID-19 list, but Teoscar Hernandez should be back in the lineup soon to hopefully give them a boost. Same with catcher Danny Jansen, who should be back in mid-May.
But the man to watch Friday night will be Kevin Gausman, who has emerged as the ace of the staff to start the season. He is 2-1 through five starts with a 2.27 ERA over 31.2 innings while striking out 41 batters without allowing a free pass yet.
Guardians Score Just Enough to Win
The Cleveland Guardians managed to muster up just enough runs and hold off a late-inning rally by the Blue Jays to win against a very respectable team on Thursday night. The Guardians need to continue playing well against quality teams to give themselves a fighting chance to make the playoffs in 2022. Jumping on Jose Berrios early was the key to the night, but Friday’s matchup won’t be as easy. They will really have to work to scratch runs across the plate in Friday night’s game.
Who better to have on the mound when scoring is going to be difficult, but none other than Shane Bieber. The Guardian’s ace may not seem like he has been as impressive as in previous years, but with a shortened Spring Training and it still being early in the year, give it time.
Bieber has stayed consistent all season long and appears to be getting stretched out quite nicely, extending his pitch count and innings with each start. If the pattern holds true, we could see a game in which Bieber pitches well into the later innings.
Blue Jays vs Guardians Head-to-Head
After Thursday’s game, the Guardians take a 1-0 lead to the 2022 season series. The two teams squared off seven times in 2021 with Toronto taking the season series 5-2 over Cleveland.
Toronto took two of three games in Cleveland in 2021.
Blue Jays vs Guardians Game Information
- Game: Blue Jays (16-11) vs Guardians (12-13)
- Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
- Day/Time: Friday, May 6th, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Blue Jays vs Guardians Live stream: MLB.tv
Blue Jays vs Guardians Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Toronto Blue Jays | -1½ +130 |
-138
|
6½ -110o
|
3½ Evo
3½ -130u |
| Cleveland Guardians |
+1½ -150
|
+128
|
6½ -110u
|
2½ -130o
2½ Evu |
| Draw |
Blue Jays vs Guardians Prediction
Scorebooks are going to play this one close to the chest. The Blue Jays offense is struggling a tad and both teams are sending their best starter to the mound to face off. The Blue Jays are still favored in this match-up, but this will be a low-scoring game with Gausman and Bieber on the mound for their respective teams.
Even with a close matchup, the Guardians are looking at a +128 underdog moneyline, which is intriguing when you look at the recent struggles for the Blue Jays to score runs. And the Guardians will be riding high after taking one Thursday night.
With such a pitching matchup, even the oddsmakers are realizing that this will probably be a low-scoring game. The over/under odds are -110 for each at 6.5 runs, but in this case, choosing the under would be a good bet.
When you bet online, take the 6.5 -110 under for the game and consider rolling that into a parlay for a bigger cashout.
