The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Houston Astros Monday night! This game will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out a Blue Jays-Astros prediction and pick.
The Blue Jays are coming off a series win against the Tampa Bay rays. Toronto handed Tampa Bay not just their first loss, but their second as well. In the series, Bo Bichette was incredible. He was 7-13 with two doubles and two RBI. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kevin Kiermaier and Whit Merrifield each had three hits as well. George Springer only had one hit, but it was the only home run for the Blue Jays in the series. On the mound, Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi picked up wins while Jordan Romano notched two saves.
The Astros are coming off a series loss against the Texas Rangers. Mauricio Dubon led the team with four hits in the three games. Yordan Alvarez had three hits with a home run and Jeremy Pena added three hits of his own. Martin Maldonado hit a home run for the Astros as well. On the mound, the only pitcher to pick up a win was rookie Hunter Brown. He went seven innings and did not allow an earned run.
The pitching matchup for this game will be Kevin Gausman vs. Cristian Javier.
Here are the Blue Jays-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Astros Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+140)
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-170)
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
How To Watch Blue Jays vs. Astros
TV: Sportsnet Canada, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Stream: ESPN+, MLB TV Subscription
Time: 8:10 PM ET/5:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
The Blue Jays come into this series with a lot of confidence. They ended the Rays win streak and won the series against them. They will also have their best pitcher on the mound for this game. Gausman has thrown 20 innings on the year and has a 1.35 ERA. He also has great command with a strikeout to walk ratio of 8:1. He has a challenge in this game, but if he can stay locked in, the Blue Jays will win and cover the spread.
Toronto gets it done offensively as they are third in batting average in the MLB. They are facing a pitcher that has given up more hits than innings pitched, and he does not walk many people. Javier will be in the zone all game, so the Blue Jays need to stay aggressive. If they can get Javier out of the game early, they will set themselves up for success through the whole series.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Houston must get back to their winning ways. They are going to need to pick it up with the bats. Dubon and Kyle Tucker are hitting over .300 for the team while Corey Julks, Alvarez and Chas McCormick are all hitting over .270. With Tucker and Alvarez in the middle of the lineup, the batters before them need to find a way to get into scoring position. Tucker and Alvarez both hit over .400 with runners in scoring position. If Houston can put pressure on the Blue Jays with those two at the plate, they will cover the spread.
Final Blue Jays-Astros Prediction & Pick
Gausman seems to be pitching the way he did in 2021 for the San Francisco Giants. He is dominant and that should continue in this game. The Blue Jays are feeling good after their series win, so expect them to carry that into this game.
Final Blue Jays-Astros Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays -1.5, Over 8 (-115)
The post MLB Odds: Blue Jays vs. Astros prediction, pick, how to watch – 4/17/2023 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
