The Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game set at Sutter Health Park on Monday night as heavy road favorites, sitting at -208 on the moneyline with Dylan Cease on the mound. The Athletics counter with left-hander Jacob Lopez, who has pitched like a different arm over the past month. Roughly four of every five run-line tickets are on the visitors. That imbalance is where our first play lives.
Last Updated: Monday, September 7, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, California |
| When | Monday, September 7 – 10:05 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC Sports California / Sportsnet |
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics Betting Preview
Cease carries a 10-5 record, a 2.25 ERA and 221 strikeouts into his 27th start, and his 1.04 WHIP backs up the surface numbers. His last five outings were all strong, with three earned runs or fewer in each and six scoreless innings on four hits at Cleveland on September 2. The wrinkle is length. He has worked past 6.2 innings just once in that stretch, and the walks have crept up, including five at Yankee Stadium on August 22.
Lopez is the reason this line is not longer. His 6-4 record, 4.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP describe a full season that included a rough middle stretch. His recent form does not. Over his last five starts the lefty has given up eight earned runs across 30 innings, and he has completed at least five frames every time. He struck out nine at Houston on August 22 and went six innings on two runs at Texas on September 2. The Athletics have him lined up as the series opener for a reason.
Form favors Toronto, but not by as much as the record gap suggests. The Blue Jays are 72-72 and fourth in the AL East. They have won seven of their last 10, yet they lost 6-1 at Kansas City on Sunday and now fly across the continent for a late start. The Athletics are 57-87 and fourth in the AL West. They took three of four in Seattle before being shut out 2-0 in the finale. Their lineup is thin, with Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom all done for the season.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics Odds
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Jays | -1.5 (-125) | -208 | U 8.5 (-110) |
| Athletics | +1.5 (+105) | +169 | O 8.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Monday, September 7, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest MLB Odds – Futures – Props
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Blue Jays | 81% | 19% | Athletics |
See the latest MLB Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Blue Jays vs. Athletics Prediction — Is Public Paying Full Price?
Start with the price rather than the logos. Toronto opened at -199 on the moneyline and now sits at -208. The run line opened with the visitors laying -1.5 at -115 and has drifted to -125. That is movement in the expected direction, since 81 percent of run-line tickets are on Toronto. What stands out is how small the move is. When ticket counts run that lopsided, the number usually travels further than nine cents. A near-frozen line is a quiet tell that the money is less one-sided than the tickets.
The baseball supports the same read. Toronto averages 4.05 runs per game, a modest offense for a team asked to win by two or more. A road favorite is the better setup for -1.5, since the visitors bat in the ninth even while leading. Still, Cease has reached the seventh once in five starts, handing three innings to a bullpen in a park that graded near the top of the majors for run scoring. Lopez has kept early innings tight, and the Athletics put up seven, seven and six runs in Seattle last week with this same short-handed lineup.
The case against is real. Cease is the best pitcher in this game by a wide margin, and Toronto has the deeper bullpen behind him. The Athletics were shut out in their most recent game, and an order missing Rooker, Kurtz and Soderstrom can disappear against a strikeout arm. If Cease delivers six clean innings, the two-run margin arrives comfortably. The counterweight is the price: the popular side has been bid up far enough to leave the cushion at plus money, and roughly 28 percent of MLB games are decided by one run.
The Pick: Athletics +1.5 (+105)
Blue Jays vs. Athletics Prediction — Can Ballpark Stay Quiet?
The total opened with the under favored at -120 and the over at +100. Both sides now sit at -110 without the 8.5 moving. That is money arriving on the over, and the venue explains why. In its first season as a major league park, Sutter Health Park graded at or near the top of the sport for run scoring, boosting singles, doubles and home runs alike. A total of 8.5 in West Sacramento is not the same number as 8.5 in a marine-air park, and the market appears to be catching up to that.
The run environment beyond the starters points the same way. The Athletics allow 5.71 runs per game and carry a 5.42 team ERA, so the innings get easier for Toronto once Lopez departs. Both bullpens are likely in the game by the seventh. The honest counter is that both starters are pitching well right now, and Toronto’s offense is closer to league average than dangerous. If each man goes six and allows two, the under wins without drama. That is why this reads as a lean rather than a conviction play. For more on Toronto’s recent scoring, see our Blue Jays vs. Royals prediction from Sunday.
The Pick: Over 8.5 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
Both plays rest on the same read, and it is worth saying so plainly. This game projects closer and higher scoring than a 57-87 host and a 2.25 ERA starter suggest. A 7-6 result in either direction cashes both tickets. A 4-1 Toronto win beats both.
The swing moment is the sixth inning. Cease has averaged roughly six frames lately, and the Athletics can put a crooked number on a bullpen once they reach it. If Toronto runs up Lopez’s pitch count early, the Sacramento relievers enter sooner and the over gets easier. These teams have not met since March, when Toronto completed a three-game sweep at Rogers Centre.
Recap of all picks: Athletics +1.5 (+105) and Over 8.5 (-110).
MLB Blue Jays vs. Athletics FAQ: Monday September 7, 2026
What time does the Blue Jays vs. Athletics game start?
First pitch is 10:05 p.m. ET on Monday, September 7, 2026. That is 7:05 p.m. local time in West Sacramento. It is the opener of a three-game series, with the second game scheduled for Tuesday evening and the finale set for Wednesday afternoon.
What channel is the Blue Jays vs. Athletics game on?
NBC Sports California carries the game for Athletics viewers, and Sportsnet has the Blue Jays broadcast in Canada. Coverage begins around the 10:05 p.m. ET first pitch. Blackout rules apply in each club’s home territory, so the regional feed is the reliable local option.
Who is pitching for the Athletics tonight?
Left-hander Jacob Lopez starts for the Athletics. He enters at 6-4 with a 4.71 ERA and 103 strikeouts, and has been sharp lately, allowing eight earned runs over 30 innings across his last five starts. Dylan Cease starts for Toronto.
Where are the Blue Jays and Athletics playing today?
The game is at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, the Athletics’ home venue during their stay in the Sacramento area. The ballpark has played as one of the most run-friendly environments in the majors since the club moved in.
What is the season series record between the Blue Jays and Athletics?
Toronto leads the season series 3-0. The Blue Jays swept the Athletics in the opening series of the season at Rogers Centre from March 27 to 29, winning 3-2, 8-7 and 5-2. Monday’s game is the fourth meeting of the season and the first since March.