Rays vs. Blue Jays Friday Prediction
After swinging some hot bats in Boston, will the Blue Jays return to their low-scoring ways this weekend when they welcome the Rays to Toronto? Or will Friday night’s matchup between the two teams result in bettors cashing the over?
Game Snapshot & Odds
965 Tampa Bay Rays (-135) at 966 Toronto Blue Jays (+115); 8.5 runs
Friday, April 12, 2019
7:07 p.m. ET, Rogers Center, Toronto, Ontario
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Public Betting Trends
According to our MLB Public Betting Chart page, 69% of the betting tickets are on the Rays to beat the Blue Jays on the moneyline.
Tampa Bay Rays Fantasy Spin
Tommy Pham swatted two homers Wednesday as the Rays cruised to a 9-1 win over the White Sox. Pham got the scoring started for Tampa Bay by blasting a two-run shot off Reynaldo Lopez in the first inning. Not content with leaving the yard once, Pham drilled another long ball in the fourth, this time going back-to-back with teammate Austin Meadows. Wednesday marked the outfielder’s eighth-career multi-homer game and his first since September 19 of last season. The 10-3 Rays trail only the 11-2 Mariners for the league’s best record and hold a four-game edge over the second-place Yankees in the AL East.
Toronto Blue Jays Fantasy Spin
MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (oblique) is headed to Triple-A Buffalo. The 20-year-old top third base prospect went 4-for-15 during a four-game rehab stint with High-A Dunedin and will now settle in for maybe a two-week stay at the Triple-A level. Vlad Jr. is recovered from the left oblique strain he suffered back in early March and could very well make his major league debut before the end of April. He needs to be stashed in all standard fantasy leagues.
MLB Betting Trends
Tampa Bay
The Rays have won five of Ryne Stanek’s last six starts versus the Blue Jays.
Toronto
The Blue Jays are just 6-14 in their last 20 games versus the Rays.
Prediction:
Trent Thornton has 15 strikeouts and allowed only two earned runs across his first 15 2/3 big-league innings, but I like taking the risk in the over tonight. Pham has reached safely in 45 straight games and he’s one of only four players to have 45 home runs and 45 steals since 2017. The Blue Jays’ lineup was horrendous in the early going but combined to score 13 runs in their last two games against the Red Sox and their bullpen had a meltdown on Thursday night. The over 5-2-1 in the last eight meetings between these two teams.
The Pick: Rays/Blue Jays OVER 8.5