MLB Betting Preview (Aug. 9): A’s vs. Blue Jays predictions
Photo credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
By Greg Warren
Aug 9, 2024, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 9, 2024, 11:32 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays will carry some momentum into their three-game series with the Oakland Athletics after taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre earlier this week.
Toronto posted a 7-6 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night, but the game was much closer than it should’ve been after Baltimore exploded for four runs in the ninth inning to make things uncomfortably close.
The A’s, meanwhile, had a day off on Thursday to recuperate before this series with Toronto. They’re coming off a 3-2 win over the lowly Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
These two teams played a three-game series in Oakland back in June, and the Blue Jays stole two road victories while holding Oakland to just six total runs over the three games.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Friday’s series opener at Rogers Centre between the A’s and Blue Jays courtesy of bet365:
A’s vs. Blue Jays odds
A’s Moneyline Odds | +115 |
Blue Jays Moneyline Odds | -135 |
Runline Odds | Blue Jays -1.5 (+150), A’s +1.5 (-180) |
Over/Under | Over 8.5 runs (-120), Under 8.5 runs (+100) |
Time/Date | Aug. 9, 7:07 p.m. ET |
TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ |
Betting Oakland A’s (48-68 SU, 60-56 ATS, 53-62-1 o/u)
The A’s are in the basement of the American League West Division, but they’re actually on pace to exceed the expectations of oddsmakers, who set their season win total around 56 or 57 wins earlier this spring. FanGraphs’ projections have them finishing with around 68 wins, and there’s certainly no pressure for this team to perform down the stretch.
A glance at Oakland’s team stats this season will reveal that the team doesn’t particularly excel in many statistical categories, except for two: home runs and preventing home runs. The A’s have slugged 148 home runs (fourth in the majors) as a team, led by outfielder Brent Rooker’s 28 to this point. And Oakland’s pitchers have surrendered just 117 blasts (fourth-best mark in MLB).
Betting Toronto Blue Jays (53-62 SU, 57-58 ATS, 63-49-3 o/u)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on a ridiculous tear right now, hitting a blistering .507 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs during his current 20-game hitting streak. He finished a single shy of the cycle on Thursday night against Baltimore, and he’s without a doubt the hottest hitter in all of baseball right now. With only one year of team control left after this season, Blue Jays executives will be feeling the pressure to get a contract extension done this winter.
On the pitching side of things, Toronto’s bullpen is in absolute shambles. Zach Pop and Chad Green imploded on Thursday night, and the unit has the second worst ERA (5.14) while giving up the most homers (69) in the majors.
Probable starting pitchers
Oakland: RHP Mitch Spence (7-7, 4.40 ERA, 7.53 K/9, 1.31 WHIP)
Spence is on a nice run right now, allowing two earned runs or less over three consecutive starts, including last time out against the big bats of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He doesn’t throw anything straight, primarily using a cutter and slider roughly 75% of the time. Spence had a solid outing earlier in June against the Blue Jays, holding them to two runs over seven innings with three strikeouts.
Toronto: RHP Jose Berrios (9-9, 4.11 ERA, 6.83 K/9, 1.22 WHIP)
After a strong start to the season, Berrios posted a lofty 6.08 ERA in July and followed that up with a rough first start in August against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs on seven hits over five innings. He hasn’t faced the A’s yet this season.
Weather
Forecasts are calling for temperatures around 25 C with a 40% chance of thunderstorms throughout the evening hours, so it’s unclear if this game will be played outdoors or indoors. If the dome is open, winds will blow out to left field at 12 mph.
MLB betting trends
- The over is 12-3 in Toronto’s last 15 games.
- The A’s have covered the runline in 19 of their last 30 games.
- The A’s have hit the team total over in nine of their last 12 road games.
MLB player prop trends
- Spence has walked two or more batters in four straight starts, averaging 3.25 per game during that span. He’s -130 to walk over 1.5 batters.
- As previously mentioned, Guerrero Jr. has hit safely in 20 straight games and is putting up ridiculous numbers recently. He’s +450 to homer, -375 to get a hit, and -120 to record over 1.5 total bases.
- Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is taking a five-game hitting streak into action. He’s -300 to get a hit and +115 to record over 1.5 total bases.
A’s vs. Blue Jays predictions
- You have to think the A’s will pitch around the red-hot Guerrero Jr. on Friday night. Vladdy is a juicy +210 to get a walk, so make sure you throw a unit down on him to get a free pass. It’s also hard not to back Guerrero Jr. in some capacity despite oddsmakers really watering down his overs in nearly every offensive category.
- If you think Vladdy will be walked, you might also want to consider Spence to walk over 1.5 batters at -130 odds, given his recent control issues and the high probability Oakland pitchers don’t give Guerrero Jr. anything to hit in the strike zone in this matchup.