The Toronto Blue Jays will host the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in the rubber match of their three-game series after Toronto claimed a convincing 10-3 victory on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.
George Springer launched a pair of Toronto’s five total home runs in the contest. Leo Jimenez, Alejandro Kirk, and Spencer Horwitz also went deep in the win.
Cincinnati suffered its fourth loss in five games.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Wednesday’s series finale between the Reds and Blue Jays courtesy of bet365:
Reds vs. Blue Jays odds
Reds Moneyline Odds | -110 |
Blue Jays Moneyline Odds | -110 |
Runline Odds | Blue Jays -1.5 (+180), Reds +1.5 (-220) |
Over/Under | Over 8.5 runs (-110), Under 8.5 runs (-110) |
Time/Date | Aug. 21, 7:07 p.m. ET |
TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ |
Betting Cincinnati Reds (61-65 SU, 68-58 ATS, 58-62-6 o/u)
With the loss Tuesday, the Reds are now 6 1/2 games back of the Atlanta Braves for the final National League Wild Card spot. They have just a 0.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs’ projections. However, with two series looming against two sub-.500 opponents (Pittsburgh and Oakland), there’s an opportunity to gain some ground on the Braves over the next week or so.
The Reds, who average a respectable 4.4 runs per game (14th in MLB), are mired in a collective slump at the plate, averaging just 2.4 runs per game over their last five contests. Stud shortstop Elly De La Cruz is especially struggling at the plate, slashing just .087/.154/.130 with no home runs and zero stolen bases over the last seven days. At one point during the season, De La Cruz was looking like a NL MVP candidate, but he’s really cooled off since the All-Star break.
Betting Toronto Blue Jays (59-67 SU, 65-61 ATS, 68-55-3 o/u)
Toronto crushed five homers in five innings on Tuesday to bring its total to 123 on the season, which ranks 26th in MLB. Team executives were hoping to see this kind of power throughout the season, but it never transpired. Springer’s pair of home runs gives him 14 on the season, and he’s taking a five-game hitting streak into the series finale. He’s a career .333 hitter with a .908 OPS in 15 at-bats against Cincinnati’s projected starting pitcher, Nick Martinez.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also remained hot with a pair of singles in Tuesday’s rout to help us cash the over on his total bases prop (one of our recommended plays). He’s slashing an insane .406/.487/.851 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs over the last 30 days.
Probable starting pitchers
Cincinnati: RHP Nick Martinez (6-6, 3.25 ERA, 7.33 K/9, 1.05 WHIP)
Martinez, who has been used as both a starter and reliever this season, is coming off a mediocre start against Kansas City, which touched him up for three runs on eight hits over six innings. His two starts prior to that, though, were exceptional, holding both the Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers scoreless. He ranks in the 99th percentile in walk rate (2.5%), so Toronto won’t be getting many free passes on Wednesday. Martinez hasn’t thrown more than 94 pitches in a start this season, with most of his starts falling in the 70-85 pitch range, so don’t expect a long outing from him.
Toronto: RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-5, 3.93 ERA, 9.33 K/9, 1.29 WHIP)
Rodriguez coughed up a season-high three home runs in his last start at Wrigley Field in Chicago, so it’ll be interesting to see how he rebounds from that setback on Wednesday. Prior to that start against the Cubs, Rodriguez had held the opposition to three earned runs or less in seven straight outings. He’s received horrendous run support (3.7 per game) from the Jays this season.
Weather
It should be another perfect night for outdoor baseball in Toronto, with temperatures expected around 19 C under clear skies. Winds will blow in from left field at 10 mph.
MLB betting trends
- The Blue Jays have played over the total in 37 of their last 53 games.
- The Reds have covered the runline in 34 of their last 52 road games.
- The Blue Jays have covered the runline in 15 of their last 23 games.
MLB player prop trends
- Martinez has struck out four or more batters in three straight starts. He’s -170 to record over 3.5 strikeouts.
- Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson is riding a six-game hitting streak into action. He’s -210 to get a hit.
- Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho has hit safely in five straight games. He’s -150 to get a hit.
Reds vs. Blue Jays predictions
- After going 2-0 on our recommended bets on Tuesday, we have to keep riding the hot bat of Guerrero Jr., who is -115 to record over 1.5 total bases.
- Springer tends to collect his hits in bunches before cooling off for a prolonged period. He has good career numbers against Martinez and is beaming with confidence after his two-homer performance on Tuesday. Let’s back him to record over 1.5 total bases at -105. You could also consider him to have a multi-hit game at more enticing +210 odds.