Rays vs. Blue Jays prediction and odds for Saturday, April 15 (Value on total)

The Tampa Bay Rays continue on as the best team in baseball through two weeks with a matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Rays hot start has been paced by some elite pitching, but also some monster hitting statistics. The team is hitting on average more than two home runs per game so far, but will face an elite hitting group in the Blue Jays.

With a pair of lefties on the mound, Josh Fleming for the Rays and Yusei Kikuchi for the Jays, who has the edge? Here's the odds and our best bet:

The Rays are due to cool off soon, but I don't think Saturday is that day against a lefty in Kikuchi. Tampa Bay is pummeling left handed pitching this season, hitting .312 while slugging an MLB high .580 so far this season.

That's an issue for Kikuchi, who has allowed four home runs already this season and has struggled with avoiding barrels since arriving in Toronto last season. He has allowed more than two home runs per nine innings dating back to 2022.

However, the Jays are due for some positive regression against southpaws as well, which they will face in Fleming of the Rays.

Tampa Bay is shutting teams down at the plate, but Toronto is an elite hitting group that has a .291 batting average when facing southpaws, but the team checks in 17th in slugging percentage. Last season, Toronto was a top 10 slugging team against lefties.

Fleming is usually an opener, but he can find himself in trouble early against this Toronto lineup. The Jays are top five in wRC+ so far this season and can be sitting on a big performance.

The total is quite high already, but I'm expecting a high scoring affair with two scorching offenses.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.