by OddsShark (@OddsShark)

The Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros have front-end starters lined up against each other on Friday, but both Aaron Sanchez and Gerrit Cole are carrying some longer-term OVER trends.

The Blue Jays are the +230 underdog (bet $100 to win $230) while the Houston Astros are a -280 home favorite (bet $280 to win $100) on the MLB odds for Friday, with an 8.0-run total at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Since they became American League counterparts in 2013, Houston’s Minute Maid Park has been a tough place for the Blue Jays, who are 7-14 in their last 21 away games against the Astros according to the OddsShark MLB Database. The Blue Jays are also 2-8 in their last 10 games as a moneyline underdog of +200 or greater, and the total has gone OVER in six of those 10 games with three pushes as well.

Blue Jays at Astros | OddsShark Matchup Report

Sanchez has been credited with a 3-7 record and 4.25 earned-run average in 14 starts this season. His last two starts were so-so, as he was touched up for a combined nine earned runs in 12 innings. The Blue Jays are 5-8 in Sanchez’s last 13 starts when they were the underdog, and the total has gone OVER in nine of the 13.

For Houston, Cole is 5-5 with a 3.72 ERA in 14 starts and also leads the American League with 130 strikeouts. The Astros are 10-2 in Cole’s last 12 starts when the team was a home favorite, with eight of those 12 games going OVER.

The Blue Jays scored a season-most 12 runs against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday and their 20 over their last two games is the best from back-to-back games this season.

The Orioles’ MLB-worst team ERA (5.52) is a full two runs per game higher than Houston’s third-best (3.52), but it might speak to the burgeoning confidence of young hitters such as rookies Vladimir Guerrero (back-to-back 3-for-4 games) and Cavan Biggio, who had his first career two-home run game on Thursday. Overall, the Blue Jays are 28th in MLB in OPS (.663) while the Astros rank second (.809).

Saturday’s game is an all-lefty starting matchup between the Blue Jays’ Clayton Richard (0-2, 7.04) and the Astros’ Framber Valdez (2-2, 2.73).

Righthander Trent Thornton (1-5, 4.78), who developed in the Astros’ farm system, will face Houston on Sunday for the first time since being traded to the Blue Jays. The Astros have yet to name a starter.

Following this series, the Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Angels for a four-game series beginning Monday.

Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for analysis on this week’s top games. As well, the OddsShark Computer serves up daily MLB picks for bettors.