<p>The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to avoid a fourth straight loss when they take on the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.</p>
<p>Houston cruised to a 7-0 victory in the series opener Monday, holding the Blue Jays to just two hits in the process. Hunter Brown was spectacular on the mound for the Astros, tossing seven innings of shutout ball while striking out nine.</p>
<p>The Astros have won three of their last four games to climb back to the .500 mark and are now just two games back of the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the American League West.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at the game odds for Tuesday&#8217;s clash between the Blue Jays and Astros, courtesy of <a href="https://www.on.bet365.ca/olp/open-account?affiliate=365_03431249&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=139656&amp;utm_campaign=365_03431249">bet365</a>.</p>
<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros odds</h2>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Blue Jays moneyline odds</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">-105</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Houston Astros odds</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">-115</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Runline odds</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Astros -1.5 (+185), Blue Jays +1.5 (-225)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Game total</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Over 8 runs (-115), Under 8 runs (-105)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Date/Time</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">April 22, 8:10 p.m. ET</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<h2>About the Blue Jays (12-11 SU, 16-7 ATS, 9-14 o/u)</h2>
<p>Toronto has now scored four runs or fewer in five straight games and six of its last seven. Bo Bichette and George Springer were the only two players to record hits, both singles, on Monday. Toronto&#8217;s inconsistent production at the plate, particularly in the power department, is troubling, as the team has only 12 home runs to its credit through 23 games. Only the Kansas City Royals have hit fewer homers (11) this season, while the New York Yankees, who the Blue Jays will play later this week, lead the league with 40.</p>
<p>Right-hander Kevin Gausman cruised through four innings Monday before the Astros exploded for four runs in the fifth inning against him. He still went six innings, so the bullpen is very fresh heading into action Tuesday, as Josh Walker threw a pair of innings following Gausman to help preserve the other relievers.</p>
<h2>About the Astros (11-11 SU, 12-10 ATS, 8-12-2 o/u)</h2>
<p>The Astros entered action Monday averaging just 3.6 runs per game, but they enjoyed consistent production throughout their lineup on Monday. Eight different players recorded at least one hit, but the bottom of the order flourished, with the No. 6 through No. 9 hitters posting a combined six hits and three RBIs.</p>
<p>Jose Altuve continued his solid start to the season with a two-RBI double and a walk to raise his team-leading batting average to .303 on the campaign. He&#8217;s historically destroyed Blue Jays pitching, slashing .347/.398/.517 in 35 career games against Toronto.</p>
<h2>Probable starting pitchers</h2>
<p><strong>Toronto:</strong> RHP Chris Bassitt (2-0, 0.77 ERA, 11.96 K/9)</p>
<p>Only Tyler Mahle has a lower ERA among qualified starting pitchers than Bassitt heading into action Tuesday. The veteran right-hander has been outstanding through his first four starts, holding the opposition to one run or less in each of those outings.</p>
<p>He&#8217;s faced some pretty good lineups, too, as the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves all boast potent bats. Bassitt struck out 10 Braves last Wednesday on just 90 pitches, so he&#8217;ll have lots in the tank for this start and should be able to pitch deep into the ballgame if his stuff continues to play.</p>
<p><strong>Houston:</strong> RHP Ronel Blanco (1-2, 6.48 ERA, 9.18 K/9)</p>
<p>Blanco will forever pitch with a little extra confidence against the Blue Jays after he no-hit them last April in Houston in just his eighth career start. He was simply amazing in his first full season in the majors last year, posting a 2.80 ERA over 30 appearances. However, it&#8217;s been a different story this year, as he struggles with his control out of the gates. Blanco has walked three or more batters in three of his four starts, not lasting past the fifth inning in any of those outings.</p>
<h2>Notable injuries</h2>
<p>Outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) and pitchers Ryan Burr (shoulder), Erik Swanson (forearm), Nick Sandlin (lat), and Max Scherzer (thumb) are all on the injured list for the Blue Jays.</p>
<p>As for the Astros, pitchers Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), Cristian Javier (elbow), Luis Garcia (elbow), and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) are on the shelf.</p>
<h2>Weather</h2>
<p>We&#8217;ll likely see an indoor game in Houston, as there&#8217;s a chance of thunderstorms throughout the evening.</p>
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<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros betting trends</h2>
<ul>
<li>Houston is 5-1 SU in the past six meetings with Toronto.</li>
<li>The under is 8-3 in the past 11 meetings.</li>
<li>The under is 8-2 in Toronto&#8217;s away games this season.</li>
<li>The under is 5-1 in Houston&#8217;s last six games.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros player prop trends</h2>
<ul>
<li>Blanco has exceeded his line of 1.5 walks in three of his last four starts this season and seven of his last eight, dating back to last season. He&#8217;s around -155 to issue over 1.5 walks.</li>
<li>Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena has hit safely in 12 straight games and is -195 to extend that streak on Tuesday.</li>
<li>Springer stole a pair of bases on Monday and is around +450 to steal another on Tuesday. However, he only has three total stolen bases on the season, with his last steal prior to Tuesday coming on March 28 against the Orioles.</li>
<li>Astros rookie Cam Smith is taking a four-game hitting streak into action Tuesday and is -135 to extend that streak. He&#8217;s hit safely in 11 of his 18 games (61% hit rate) this season.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros predictions</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Yordan Alvarez to hit a home run: +310 for a half unit (best odds at bet365).</strong> We picked on Alvarez for his horrific strikeout tendencies vs. Gausman on Monday night, and it paid off for us, but we have some very convincing data that suggests he&#8217;s poised for a massive game with Bassitt on the mound Tuesday. Alvarez has launched five home runs and owns a massive 1.741 OPS in just 19 career at-bats against the veteran righty. It&#8217;s not very often you see such slanted player vs. pitcher data, so we&#8217;d be insane not to lock in this wager. Yes, Alvarez has had a slow start to the season with just two bombs to his credit so far, but this could be a breakout spot for him against a pitcher he clearly sees very well. If you want to play it a little safer, you can lock in Alvarez over 1.5 total bases at +105 odds over at bet365. I&#8217;ll be playing both, with a half unit on the homer and a full unit on over 1.5 total bases.</li>
</ul>


Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) hits a RBI sacrifice against the San Diego Padres in the fifth inning at Daikin Park.

The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to avoid a fourth straight loss when they take on the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.

Houston cruised to a 7-0 victory in the series opener Monday, holding the Blue Jays to just two hits in the process. Hunter Brown was spectacular on the mound for the Astros, tossing seven innings of shutout ball while striking out nine.

The Astros have won three of their last four games to climb back to the .500 mark and are now just two games back of the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the American League West.

Let's take a look at the game odds for Tuesday's clash between the Blue Jays and Astros, courtesy of <a href="https://www.on.bet365.ca/olp/open-account?affiliate=365_03431249&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=139656&amp;utm_campaign=365_03431249">bet365</a>.
<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros odds</h2>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Blue Jays moneyline odds</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">-105</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Houston Astros odds</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">-115</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Runline odds</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Astros -1.5 (+185), Blue Jays +1.5 (-225)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Game total</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Over 8 runs (-115), Under 8 runs (-105)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">Date/Time</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 24px;">April 22, 8:10 p.m. ET</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<h2>About the Blue Jays (12-11 SU, 16-7 ATS, 9-14 o/u)</h2>
Toronto has now scored four runs or fewer in five straight games and six of its last seven. Bo Bichette and George Springer were the only two players to record hits, both singles, on Monday. Toronto's inconsistent production at the plate, particularly in the power department, is troubling, as the team has only 12 home runs to its credit through 23 games. Only the Kansas City Royals have hit fewer homers (11) this season, while the New York Yankees, who the Blue Jays will play later this week, lead the league with 40.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman cruised through four innings Monday before the Astros exploded for four runs in the fifth inning against him. He still went six innings, so the bullpen is very fresh heading into action Tuesday, as Josh Walker threw a pair of innings following Gausman to help preserve the other relievers.
<h2>About the Astros (11-11 SU, 12-10 ATS, 8-12-2 o/u)</h2>
The Astros entered action Monday averaging just 3.6 runs per game, but they enjoyed consistent production throughout their lineup on Monday. Eight different players recorded at least one hit, but the bottom of the order flourished, with the No. 6 through No. 9 hitters posting a combined six hits and three RBIs.

Jose Altuve continued his solid start to the season with a two-RBI double and a walk to raise his team-leading batting average to .303 on the campaign. He's historically destroyed Blue Jays pitching, slashing .347/.398/.517 in 35 career games against Toronto.
<h2>Probable starting pitchers</h2>
<strong>Toronto:</strong> RHP Chris Bassitt (2-0, 0.77 ERA, 11.96 K/9)

Only Tyler Mahle has a lower ERA among qualified starting pitchers than Bassitt heading into action Tuesday. The veteran right-hander has been outstanding through his first four starts, holding the opposition to one run or less in each of those outings.

He's faced some pretty good lineups, too, as the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves all boast potent bats. Bassitt struck out 10 Braves last Wednesday on just 90 pitches, so he'll have lots in the tank for this start and should be able to pitch deep into the ballgame if his stuff continues to play.

<strong>Houston:</strong> RHP Ronel Blanco (1-2, 6.48 ERA, 9.18 K/9)

Blanco will forever pitch with a little extra confidence against the Blue Jays after he no-hit them last April in Houston in just his eighth career start. He was simply amazing in his first full season in the majors last year, posting a 2.80 ERA over 30 appearances. However, it's been a different story this year, as he struggles with his control out of the gates. Blanco has walked three or more batters in three of his four starts, not lasting past the fifth inning in any of those outings.
<h2>Notable injuries</h2>
Outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) and pitchers Ryan Burr (shoulder), Erik Swanson (forearm), Nick Sandlin (lat), and Max Scherzer (thumb) are all on the injured list for the Blue Jays.

As for the Astros, pitchers Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), Cristian Javier (elbow), Luis Garcia (elbow), and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) are on the shelf.
<h2>Weather</h2>
We'll likely see an indoor game in Houston, as there's a chance of thunderstorms throughout the evening.
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<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros betting trends</h2>
<ul>
 	<li>Houston is 5-1 SU in the past six meetings with Toronto.</li>
 	<li>The under is 8-3 in the past 11 meetings.</li>
 	<li>The under is 8-2 in Toronto's away games this season.</li>
 	<li>The under is 5-1 in Houston's last six games.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros player prop trends</h2>
<ul>
 	<li>Blanco has exceeded his line of 1.5 walks in three of his last four starts this season and seven of his last eight, dating back to last season. He's around -155 to issue over 1.5 walks.</li>
 	<li>Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena has hit safely in 12 straight games and is -195 to extend that streak on Tuesday.</li>
 	<li>Springer stole a pair of bases on Monday and is around +450 to steal another on Tuesday. However, he only has three total stolen bases on the season, with his last steal prior to Tuesday coming on March 28 against the Orioles.</li>
 	<li>Astros rookie Cam Smith is taking a four-game hitting streak into action Tuesday and is -135 to extend that streak. He's hit safely in 11 of his 18 games (61% hit rate) this season.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Blue Jays vs. Astros predictions</h2>
<ul>
 	<li><strong>Yordan Alvarez to hit a home run: +310 for a half unit (best odds at bet365).</strong> We picked on Alvarez for his horrific strikeout tendencies vs. Gausman on Monday night, and it paid off for us, but we have some very convincing data that suggests he's poised for a massive game with Bassitt on the mound Tuesday. Alvarez has launched five home runs and owns a massive 1.741 OPS in just 19 career at-bats against the veteran righty. It's not very often you see such slanted player vs. pitcher data, so we'd be insane not to lock in this wager. Yes, Alvarez has had a slow start to the season with just two bombs to his credit so far, but this could be a breakout spot for him against a pitcher he clearly sees very well. If you want to play it a little safer, you can lock in Alvarez over 1.5 total bases at +105 odds over at bet365. I'll be playing both, with a half unit on the homer and a full unit on over 1.5 total bases.</li>
</ul>

MLB betting preview (April 22): Blue Jays vs. Astros predictions

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