There don’t seem to be many division races in the American League this season that are going to provide much relief to the teams at the top. The Toronto Blue Jays are mired in fourth place despite winning eight of their past 10 games and being seven games over .500 in the American League East division. People making Astros vs Blue Jays betting picks will see the Blue Jays will have a fight on their hands to try and grab a Wild Card spot.
Houston has found that the American League West, other than the Oakland A’s, are quickly starting to figure out a way to add pieces to contend with the Astros. The Astros have been battling with Texas all season and will want to quickly reverse the two-game losing streak it has found itself in.
Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays Odds
Moneyline: MLB odds show that Houston is a -124 favorite. The Blue Jays are +107 on the moneyline.
Over/Under: The over/under is set at 8.5 runs.
Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays Information
Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays
Location of the game: Rodgers Center, Toronto, Ontario
Date & Time: Thursday, June 8, 2023, 7:07 p.m.
How to watch: MLB.TV
Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays Analysis
Astros Performance Recap and Analysis
The Astros have hit a bit of a rough patch on the MLB schedule. Houston has lost three of its past four games, including two of the first three games of the series with Toronto. What has hampered the Houston Astros roster has been the struggles of its offense.
The Astros have only scored three total runs in their last two games and rank 15th in the league by allowing 4.59 runs per nine innings this season. What has helped boost Houston has been its excellent pitching and defense. The Astros are first in the league in runs allowed, giving up 3.61 per game.
Houston will be starting Framber Valdez in this game. Valdez is 6-4 this season with a 2.16 ERA. People making Astros vs Blue Jays betting picks will see Houston has won the last five games that Valdez started.
Key Injuries
The Astros don’t have many players on the MLB injury report. Starting pitcher Forrest Whitley is day-to-day, but the Astros don’t have any position players on the IL.
Betting Trends to know
- The Astros are 33-29 against the runline.
- Houston has seen the under go 31-30-1 in its games this season.
- Three of the Astros last four games have gone under the total.
Blue Jays Performance Recap and Analysis
The Blue Jays will send Jose Berrios to the mound. Anyone looking at the Toronto Blue Jays standings will see that Toronto has had solid pitching throughout the season. Berrios has a 5-4 record with a 3.66 ERA.
MLB stats show that Toronto as a team has struggled to limit the long ball. The Blue Jays’ pitching staff ranks 26th in the league by giving up 1.35 home runs per game. Anyone making Astros vs Blue Jays betting picks will see Berrios has given up seven home runs in 71.1 innings pitched this season.
Key Injuries
Toronto catcher Danny Jansen is on the 10-day IL. Like most MLB teams, the Blue Jays also have several pitchers out with injuries, including relief pitcher Zach Pop.
Betting trends to know
- The Blue Jays are 30-33 against the run line.
- Toronto has seen the under go 31-29-3 in its games this season.
- Four of the Blue Jays last six games have gone under the total.
Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays Betting Picks
Moneyline: Houston has been slowly working on climbing the MLB standings since the season started slow for the Astros. Valdez has been one of the Astros reliable starting pitchers this season. With Valdez on the mound, Houston will grab a victory to salvage a series split.
Over/Under: The last two games in this series have been low-scoring affairs. Both teams in this series are playoff hopefuls and won’t want to want a chance to one-up the other. This is one of the MLB picks that is best to make on the under.
Spread: The Astros have been good against the runline during MLB games this season. Houston’s offense is inconsistent but has been able to produce large outputs in bursts this season. The Astros will win this game by at least two runs.
Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays Prediction
- MLB Pick: Houston -124
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