Last Updated on August 11, 2017 6:30 pm by Anthony Rome
Pirates vs. Blue Jays Prediction
Will the Pirates pull off the upset versus the Blue Jays tonight when the two teams meet at 7:07PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Blue Jays are -140 money line favorites versus the Pirates, who have odds of +130 to pull off the upset. With Jameson Taillon set to face Marcus Stroman in the pitching matchup, the over/under currently sits at 8.5 runs.
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From Rotoworld: Taillon racked up eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of two-run baseball in a no-decision against the Padres on Sunday afternoon. Taillon allowed five hits and a pair of walks in the contest. All of the damage against him came in the first inning, then he settled in and dominated the rest of the day. The right-hander has been very inconsistent this season, but continues to show flashes of greatness. He’ll carry a 4.60 ERA and 1.50 WHIP into Friday’s start against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
Stroman allowed three runs (two earned) on 11 hits over 6 2/3 innings while taking a no-decision in Sunday’s loss to the Astros. The Astros were squaring up the ball well against Stroman in this one, but he managed to mostly avoid run-scoring damage over the course of his 6 2/3 innings of work. All three of the runs on his line scored in the fifth inning. On the afternoon, the right-hander struck out six and walked two. He will bring a 3.17 ERA and 1.33 WHIP into a home start against the Pirates next time he takes to the mound.
Bet Tonight’s Pirates vs. Blue Jays Game
OUR PREDICTION: The Pirates have won seven of Taillon’s last 10 road starts, are 12-3 in his last 15 outings coming off four days of rest, and are 11-3 in his last 14 starts after allowing five runs or more in their previous game. On the other side, the Blue Jays are just 1-4 in Stroman’s last five starts when their opponent allows five runs or more in their previous game, are 8-20 in their last 28 games following a win, and are 6-13 in their last 19 games during the first game of a series.
FRIDAY MLB PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PIRATES +130