MLB Betting Preview (Aug. 13): Blue Jays vs. Angels predictions

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) second baseman Will Wagner (7) and left fielder Joey Loperfido (9) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.

Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Aug 13, 2024, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 13, 2024, 10:24 EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays are back in action Tuesday after receiving some offence from an unlikely source on Monday to snatch a 4-2 victory in their series opener against the Los Angeles Angels.

Will Wagner recorded hits in the first three at-bats of his major league debut, and Bowden Francis pitched seven strong innings to propel the Blue Jays to victory. The game was a pick’em, and it played under the total, just as predicted in our recommended plays yesterday.

The Angels have dropped three of their last four games, while the Blue Jays halted a two-game slide with Monday’s win.

Let’s dive into the game odds for the second game of this series between the Blue Jays and Angels courtesy of bet365:

Blue Jays vs. Angels odds

Blue Jays Moneyline Odds	-150
Angels Moneyline Odds	+125
Runline Odds	Blue Jays -1.5 (+110), Angels +1.5 (-130)
Over/Under	Over 8.5 runs (-115), Under 8.5 runs (-105)
Time/Date	Aug. 13, 9:38 p.m. ET
TV	Broadcast: Sportsnet, Sportsnet+

Betting Toronto Blue Jays (55-64 SU, 59-60 ATS, 64-52-3 o/u)

The Blue Jays already boast two sons of reputable former big leaguers – Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – on their roster, and another joined the ranks on Monday. Will Wagner, the son of seven-time All-Star reliever Billy Wagner, collected two singles and a double as well as his first RBI to burst onto the scene. He was acquired from the Houston Astros in July as part of the Yusei Kikuchi deal.

Guerrero Jr. bounced back with a pair of hits Tuesday, helping us cash another one of our recommended plays yesterday on his total bases. The slugger had his 22-game hitting streak halted on Sunday, but it was obviously just a blip on the radar as he continues to swing one of the hottest bats in the majors over the last couple of months.

Betting Los Angeles Angels (52-67 SU, 69-50 ATS, 56-57-6 o/u)

The Angels managed just two hits Monday, but they both left the ballpark. Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak both went deep in the loss, which shouldn’t be surprising considering Toronto pitchers have surrendered 165 home runs this season, the most in the majors. The Angels have sent 139 balls out of the yard as a team this year, ranking them 20th in the majors in that category. Adell leads the team with 18 blasts, and five other players have registered in double digits.

Bettors should know that this team loves to steal bases, recording 101 thefts to this point (eighth in the majors). And Toronto’s starting pitcher on Tuesday, Kevin Gausman, is one of the easiest hurlers in the league to steal bases off of with a minus-9 pitcher base advances prevented mark, according to Baseball Savant. Opposing base stealers are a perfect 16-0 taking second base on him this season.

Probable starting pitchers

Toronto: RHP Kevin Gausman (10-8, 4.42 ERA, 8.23 K/9, 1.27 WHIP)

Gausman loves pitching on the road, as evidenced by his 6-3 record with a 2.74 ERA in 11 starts away from Rogers Centre. He’s also in pretty good form lately, pitching very deep into games in two of his last three starts, including a complete-game effort three starts ago against Texas. He’s managed just four strikeouts over his last two outings, though, so tread carefully if you’re thinking of backing him to exceed his strikeout totals.

Los Angeles: RHP Carson Fulmer (0-2, 3.74 ERA, 8.55 K/9, 1.20 WHIP)

Fulmer will be making his sixth start and 30th appearance of the year. He hasn’t thrown more than 90 pitches in a start, so don’t expect him to be in the game for too long. It’s hard to imagine him exceeding five innings on Tuesday, unless he’s absolutely feeling it and making short work of Toronto. Fulmer held the high-powered Yankees to just two earned runs over four innings of work last time out, and he turned in a quality start before that against Colorado.

Weather

Forecasts are calling for pleasant temperatures around 24 C and clear skies. Winds will blow out to centre field at 8 mph.

MLB betting trends

The over is 13-6 in Toronto’s last 19 games.
The Angels are 37-25 on the runline at home this season.
The Blue Jays have covered the runline in 25 of their last 38 road games.

MLB player prop trends

Gausman has issued three or more walks in four straight starts. He’s -145 to record over 1.5 walks.
Moniak has hit safely in four straight games, recording eight hits during that span. He’s -155 to get a hit.
Guerrero Jr. has hit safely in 23 of his last 24 games and is slashing a blistering .432/.512/.784 with two homers and six RBIs this month.

Blue Jays vs. Angels predictions

Target the speedsters on Los Angeles to steal a base here with Gausman on the mound: Zach Neto (around +250 odds), Adell (+450), and Moniak (+600). Luis Renfigo leads the Angels with 24 steals, but he’s out for the rest of the season due to injury.
Consider backing Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon in this spot against Gausman, too. He’s posted a 1.098 OPS and owns a .423 batting average in 26 career at-bats against the Blue Jays right-hander. He’s also taken Gausman deep once and collected five RBIs in the process. Rendon is -180 to get a hit and +165 to record over 1.5 total bases.