by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post

The matchup seems daunting on the surface for the Toronto Blue Jays, but they have held their own as a heavy underdog at home this season.

The Blue Jays are the +175 home underdog (bet $100 to win $175) while the Houston Astros are the -205 away favorite (bet $205 to win $100) with a 10.5-run total on the MLB odds for Friday at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Blue Jays are 6-6 this season as a home moneyline underdog of +150 or more this season. The total has gone UNDER in 12 of their last 17 home games as an underdog of +150 or more.

Astros at Blue Jays | OddsShark Matchup Report

With that said, the Astros, who are in the running for the best record in Major League Baseball, are 12-6 in their last 18 away games as a moneyline favorite of -170 or deeper into minus money. The total has also finished UNDER in five of the Blue Jays’ last six home games as a home underdog, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.

Rookie right-hander Trent Thornton (4-8, 5.34 ERA, 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings) will start for the Blue Jays opposite Astros left-hander Wade Miley (13-4, 3.13 ERA, 7.6 SO/9) in Friday’s series opener. Thornton has battled inconsistency throughout the season, with the total finishing OVER in five of his last seven starts. He did, however, throw 6.2 shutout innings to earn credit for the win during a start against the Astros in Houston on June 16. The Astros are 9-2 in Miley’s 11 away starts this season.

Right-hander Clay Buchholz (0-3, 5,87 ERA, 4.4 SO/9) starts for the Blue Jays on Saturday, while left-hander Framber Valdez (4-6, 5.14 ERA, 8.5 SO/9) will start for the Astros. Buchholz is making his second start since returning from the injured list and the Blue Jays are 2-4 in his six starts this season, with the total finishing UNDER four times. The total has gone OVER in three of Valdez’s last five starts, but with an average total of 11.8 runs.

The Blue Jays have not named a starter for Sunday’s game, which is usually an indicator that they plan to use an opener, while the Astros will start veteran all-star Justin Verlander (16-5, 2.69 ERA, 11.9 SO/9). Wilmer Font (3-3, 4.35 ERA, 9.9 SO/9) is the Blue Jays’ most frequently used opener and the total has gone UNDER in 15 of the last 16 games he has started. The total has also gone UNDER in 11 of Verlander’s last 17 starts when the Astros were an away favorite.

Following this series, the Blue Jays have a six-game, seven-day road trip, consisting of two games against the Atlanta Braves and four against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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