Athletics vs. Blue Jays Pick
Will the Toronto Blue Jays complete a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics when the two meet this afternoon at 12:37PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Blue Jays are favored at home, as they are getting odds of -150 to win, while the Athletics are listed with a money line of +140 to prevail. The over/under total for the game has been set at 9 runs.
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The pitching matchup today features Marcus Stroman (9-5, 2.98 ERA) on the mound for the Jays to face Sean Manaea (8-5, 3.82) of the Athletics. Stroman has been dominant as of late, allowing just four earned runs over his last five starts. He has 105 strikeouts this season with 37 walks and a 1.26 WHIP. Manaea has been okay, but has allowed multiple runs in four straight starts. He has 103 strikeouts on the season with 38 walks and a 1.25 WHIP.
After picking up a 4-2 win on Monday and a 4-1 win on Tuesday, the Blue Jays rallied for a 3-2 win on Wednesday to set up the potential sweep today. Toronto is now 47-54 overall and 25-24 at home while the Athletics are 44-57 overall and 16-34 on the road.
Oakland held a 2-0 lead for most of the game, but the Jays managed to score three runs on Santiago Casilla in the ninth. He blew his sixth save of the season, not recording an out while allowing three runs. Justin Smoak tied the game with his 28th home run and then Kendrys Morales had a walk-off solo home run to win the game. Oakland got its two runs from Marcus Semien, who had a two-run home run.
Bet on Athletics vs. Blue Jays
I thought Oakland would get the upset on Wednesday, and they should have. Still, Toronto found a way to win and has managed to grind out wins in each game of this series. Today may also be a grind, as both pitchers are capable of great outings. However, Stroman is the much hotter pitcher and I will take him to guide his surging team to a sweep at home.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: TORONTO BLUE JAYS -150