Toronto Takes On The Champs | Blue Jays vs Astros | OSB
Toronto Blue Jays at Houston Astros
By Sam Batz
On Tuesday, April 18th the Houston Astros will host the Toronto Blue Jays in the second matchup of their three game series (8:10 PM EST, MLB Extra Innings). The Astros are coming off a fantastic season, where they went 106-56 (65.4%) and notched their 2nd World Series title in franchise history. The Blue Jays also had a good season last year, going 92-70 (56.8%), but were bounced from the playoffs in the AL Wild Card Round by the Seattle Mariners. Toronto hasn’t been to the World Series since winning in back-to-back years in 1992 and 1993. The Blue Jays now face the reigning champions, but are -1.5 run favorites with their moneyline priced at -120, while the Astro’s are the underdogs at home for the first time this season, with a moneyline set at +100.
The Toronto Blue Jays (-120)
The Blue Jays are 10-6 (62.5%) through the first 16 games of this young season. They are tied for 2nd in the AL East, tied for 2nd in the American League as a whole, and are tied for 4th in all of MLB. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Blue Jays have a 66% chance to make the playoffs. But it’s too early to be worried about the postseason, and Toronto is solely focused on their upcoming matchups. The Blue Jays are 29-36 (44.6%) against the Astros all-time, but are actually favored in Tuesday’s matchup against the reigning champs.
The Houston Astros (+100)
The Houston Astros are 7-9 (43.8%) through the first month of the season. It is a slower start than many projected but there is still plenty of baseball left to be played. Like the Blue Jays, Houston has a 66% chance to qualify for the postseason. The Astros have been one of the most successful teams in the past decade, winning two World Series titles, going to the World Series 4 times, and making the playoffs 7 of the last 10 years. Houston is not favored to win the World Series again this year, but because of their past successes, they have to be considered a contender.
Blue Jays vs. Astros Odds
Team | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
Toronto Blue Jays | -1.5 (+140) | Ov 8 (-110) | -120 |
Houston Astros | +1.5 (-170) | Un 8 (-110) | +100 |
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Blue Jays vs. Astros: Season Stats
Toronto Blue Jays (10-6) .625 80 (7th) 156 (2nd) .277 (3rd) 16 (T-16th) 75 (T-8th) 4-2 (66.7%) 6-4 (60.0%) | Stat Type Pct. Total Runs Hits Bat Avg. Homeruns RBIs Home (Win-rate) Away (Win-rate) | Houston Astros (7-9) .438 77 (T-8th) 136 (11th) .248 (14th) 16 (T-16th) 74 (9th) 4-6 (40.0%) 3-3 (50.0%) |
Blue Jays vs. Astros: Betting Trends
Toronto Blue Jays 8-8 5-5 (Away) 8-5 (vs. AL) 8-7-1 7-3 (as Favorites) 4-2 (Favorites Away) | Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (League) O/U (Season) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away) | Houston Astros 8-8 4-6 (Home) 6-7 (vs. AL) 11-5 0-2 (as Underdogs) 0-0 (Underdogs Home) |
Blue Jays vs. Astros: Game Changers
Toronto Blue Jays
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Chris Bassitt (1-2); 7.63 ERA, 17 Hits Allowed, 12 Strikeouts, and 8 Walks
- Matt Chapman leads the Blue Jays with a .421 batting average (2nd), 15 RBI’s (T-6th), and a .484 OBP
- Bo Bichette leads the Blue Jays with 27 hits, 4 home runs, and is batting .375 (3rd-best on the team)
Houston Astros
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Jose Urquidy (1-0); 2.35 ERA, 16 Hits Allowed, 13 Strikeouts, and 5 Walks
- Mauricio Dubon leads the Astros with a .340 batting average and 17 hits
- Yordan Alvarez, arguably Houston’s best big-hitter, leads the Astros with 20 RBI’s and is tied with Kyle Tucker for the most home runs (4)
- Star Second Baseman, Jose Altuve, is out with a thumb injury but will be back on the field before June
Blue Jays vs. Astros Prediction
Take the Blue Jays to win on Tuesday, April 18th. The Astros are off to a slow start and seem to be in a bit of a slump. It’s not that Houston is a bad team, it’s that they are inconsistent. For example, they are coming off a three game series against the Texas Rangers where the Astros went 1-2. They scored 2 runs, 8 runs, and 1 run in those three games respectively, and haven’t been able to string together more than 2 wins in a row. The Blue Jays on the other hand are coming off a series against the league leading Tampa Bay Rays, and handed Tampa their first two losses of the season. It will be a close game, but I’ll take the Blue Jays to win game 2 of the series.
Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays Moneyline (-120) and the Under (8)
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