The Boston Red Sox will face the Toronto Blue Jays in the third of a four-game series between bitter American League East rivals expected to contend for the division title.
The game will get underway inside Rogers Centre in Toronto at 7:07 p.m. ET.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Red Sox vs Blue Jays. We have plenty of MLB predictions.
Red Sox in Tailspin
The Boston Red Sox finished in second place in the AL East last season before eventually making it into the playoffs; this season, however, they are down in fourth place and just 7-11.
Their offense has gone mostly dry and their assortment of arm talent cannot compensate for their deficiencies at the plate. Boston has lost four straight and six of seven, and after its collapse on Tuesday night, it has virtually no momentum.
Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have been the standouts. Bogaerts is hitting .362, the sixth-best average in the league. Still, the team ranks toward the bottom in most major offensive categories and has not scored more than five runs in nine games.
Michael Wacha (1-0, 1.88 ERA) will look to continue his hot start against one of the most fearsome offenses in the league.
Blue Jays Soaring
The Blue Jays have produced the best record in the AL at 12-6 and won the first two games of the series against the Sox. Tuesday’s victory came via a late comeback that was pushed over the finish line by Ramel Tapia’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning of a 6-5 win.
As one might expect, the Blue Jays are dominating the hitting metrics, leading the league in home runs and ranking fifth in batting average, thanks largely to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The second coming of the legendary Guerrero name has produced only one hit in seven at-bats in this series and will be looking to assert himself soon.
Ross Stripling, normally absent from Toronto’s rotation, will get the start. He has no decisions and a 4.50 ERA in four games.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays Head-to-Head
MLB picks will favor the Jays because of their recent history against the Sox. They won four of five matchups this season.
MLB lines have shifted slightly since the first game in the series, at which time the Blue Jays were -130 favorites on the moneyline. Now they are up to -140 on the back of two wins against their familiar opponent.
Boston’s path to victory comes from slowing down the Blue Jays’ power bats, as its offense has shown that it cannot keep up with other dominant teams in the league.
This is assuming that the Red Sox do not have a coming-out party against Stripling, who is not a regular starter but is still serviceable.
The Red Sox need a couple pieces before the trade deadline to realistically compete in the division. For that reason, the Blue Jays are the safer option.
Those looking to bet online can find MLB odds and more on the BETUS sportsbook below.
Ryan Knuppel has been writing about sports & sports betting topics online for over 15 years. He was a college basketball All-American in the early 2000's and has always had a deep understanding for sports. Ryan was the 2011 Buffalo Wild Wings National "Pickem" Winner which earned him a trip to play flag football with Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. He was also a 2015 FanDuel.com Playboy Mansion NBA Championships Qualifier in daily fantasy sports. But his true claim to fame is the fact that he has played basketball with and against THE Michael Jordan numerous times in his life. Ryan is excited to be writing and covering sports here and would love to hear from you on social media.
