Blue Jays vs. Guardians prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

clutchpoints.com

09 August 2023

Blue Jays vs. Guardians prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The Toronto Blue Jays take on the Cleveland Guardians. Our MLB odds series has our Blue Jays Guardians prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Blue Jays Guardians.

The Toronto Blue Jays are in the thick of the American League playoff picture. The good news is that they currently occupy a playoff spot and that their A.L. East pursuers are struggling. The bad news is that the American League West teams they are battling against are both playing well. The Jays lead the New York Yankees by 4.5 games and the Boston Red Sox by five games. Finishing third in the A.L. East would increase Toronto's odds of making the postseason, and that piece of the puzzle is falling into place. However, the Jays trail the Houston Astros by 1.5 games for the second A.L. wild card position, and the Seattle Mariners have won six in a row to move within two games of Toronto for the third and final wild card spot. This Mariner surge is complicating everything for Toronto, which did not view Seattle as a primary playoff threat 10 days ago.

Here are the Blue Jays-Guardians MLB odds,

MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Guardians Odds

Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+105)

Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-126)

Over: 8 (-110)

Under: 8 (-110)

How To Watch Blue Jays vs. Guardians

TV: Sportsnet (Blue Jays) / Bally Sports Great Lakes (Guardians) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

For the inside story on the 24 people banned from MLB, listen below:

Time: 7:10 p.m. ET/4:10 p.m. PT

*Watch Blue Jays-Guardians LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread

The Blue Jays have to like the pitching matchup in this game, and they have to love their overall pitching situation. Kevin Gausman has pitched like an ace for most of this season. He has been one of the leaders in strikeouts per nine innings in the American League. He has given this team and pitching staff high-level consistency. Gausman should enable the Jays to, at the very worst, be close entering the seventh inning of this and every other game he pitches in. If the Toronto offense can come alive, the Jays should be in great shape.

If the game is close entering the seventh, the Jays should like their chances. They have a very deep bullpen. Erik Swanson has been terrific this year after coming over from the Seattle Mariners. Tim Mayza has a very low ERA and has been a strong lefty reliever in high-leverage situations. The team picked up St. Louis Cardinal flamethrower Jordan Hicks at the trade deadline. Hicks closed down Toronto's 3-1 win over Cleveland on Monday. Jordan Romano is currently recovering from back problems, but the other relievers have done well in his absence. Moreover, the bullpen got a lot of rest on Tuesday, with starter Yusei Kikuchi going seven strong innings. The pen should be fresh here, and that could matter.

Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread

The Guardians have struggled to score all season long, but their pitching has been really good. Logan Allen has delivered for Cleveland, posting a solid 3.65 ERA to this point in the season. The Guardians are going up against a Toronto offense which has a lot of talent but has been noticeably inconsistent all season long. The last several games offer an example of how erratic the Blue Jays have been on offense in 2023. They pounded Boston Red Sox pitching over the past weekend. Toronto won on Sunday in Boston, 13-1. Then the Jays got shut out by Cleveland in the first seven innings on Monday before Cavan Biggio hit a two-run homer in the eighth. On Tuesday, the Guardians shut out the Jays in a 1-0 victory. The Toronto offense easily falls into slumps and has struggled with runners in scoring position. Cleveland can win a low-scoring game, but keep in mind that Toronto is the run-line favorite. Cleveland losing by one run still means the Guardians cover. With the Jays struggling to score, the odds of that scenario are good.