Blue Jays picks and odds vs. Rockies Sept. 2: Bet on Toronto to win at Coors behind Kikuchi
The Toronto Blue Jays can earn a series win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.
The pregame narrative: Toronto's offence is quietly coming alive and we're betting on the bats leading the squad to another win. Each team is sending out one of its stronger arms to the mound and we're betting the total comes in below a lofty number.
MLB oddsas of 9:13 a.m. ET on 09/02/2023.
Blue Jays picks vs. Rockies
Best Bet: Blue Jays to score 1st and win (-106)
Betting Toronto on the moneyline comes with some serious vig (-175), but we're adding the caveat of the team scoring first to bring the number down.
Naturally, the Blue Jays have the best chance at scoring first as the team that bats first. It also helps that Colorado has struggled to keep opponents off the board early in ball games.
The Rockies are tied for allowing the eighth-highest percentage of runs per first inning (32.8%) in the majors.
Toronto, on the other hand, has been one of the better squads in baseball at suppressing early offence from its opponent. The team is tied for allowing the seventh-lowest percentage of runs in the first inning (26.7%).
The Blue Jays are sending out Yusei Kikuchi, who has been strong through the first two innings.
Toronto could very well score before Kikuchi even takes the mound. The offence has produced 41 runs over its last six outings.
Key stat: Colorado is averaging the seventh-fewest runs per first four innings (1.83) despite playing at the hitter-friendly Coors Field.
Quick pick
Under 11.5 runs (-107): Despite these two teams combining for nearly double this total (22 runs) on Friday, we're taking the under on Saturday.
A lot of it stems from how fantastic Kikuchi has been since the MLB All-Star Game.
The under on this total has cashed in six of his last seven outings.
The Rockies counter with Ty Blach and he's been really solid as of late. He has a 2.68 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of July.
There have been 11 runs or fewer in three of Blach's last four appearances at Coors Field.
