MLB betting preview (May 26): Blue Jays vs. Rangers odds
Photo credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
By Greg Warren
May 26, 2025, 11:09 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays will open a three-game set with the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Monday afternoon.
Toronto opened its current six-game road trip in Tampa over the weekend, dropping all three games to the Rays, including the series finale by a 13-0 score.
The Rangers, meanwhile, just wrapped up their own six-game road trip, claiming just one win on the trip, a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. They had lost five straight games prior to that and suffered a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees before their weekend series with the White Sox.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Monday’s series opener between the Blue Jays and Rangers, courtesy of bet365.
Blue Jays vs. Rangers odds
Blue Jays moneyline odds | +125 |
Rangers moneyline odds | -150 |
Runline odds | Rangers -1.5 (+145), Blue Jays +1.5 (-170) |
Game total | Over 7 runs (-115), Under 7 runs (-105) |
Date/time | May 26, 4:05 p.m. ET |
About the Blue Jays (25-27 SU, 31-21 ATS, 25-26-1 o/u)
It was a miserable weekend for the Blue Jays, who scored just two runs in their three-game series with the Rays in Tampa. They’ve scored three runs or fewer in eight of their 11 games, but they did break out for 24 runs across three games with the San Diego Padres in that stretch.
The Blue Jays are averaging just 3.94 runs per game (24th in the majors) and only 3.25 runs per game on the road this season. They’re allowing 4.46 runs per game overall this season, which ranks 22nd in baseball.
Anthony Santander has been a major disappointment since signing a five-year deal with the Blue Jays this past offseason, slashing just .193/.280/.327 with a lowly .607 OPS. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Sunday.
About the Rangers (26-28 SU, 29-25 ATS, 17-36-1 o/u)
Much like the Blue Jays, the Rangers have failed to meet their high expectations early in the season. They enter this series two games below .500 and four games back of the AL West lead, but they have played very well at Globe Life Park, where they own a 17-10 record.
On paper, this team should be scoring way more runs than their 3.37 per game average suggests, but several of the club’s stars have either sturggled or been injured through the first portion of the season. Adolis Garcia is slashing just .213/.262./383 through 53 games, while former Blue Jay Marcus Semien owns an ugly .176 batting average to this point.
The pitching staff has held the Rangers afloat during their recent production issues, allowing just 3.57 runs per game (fourth in the majors). Their 3.34 staff ERA ranks sixth in the majors and opponents are hitting just .226 collectively off them (fifth in majors). Their pitchers have performed amazingly at Globe Life Field, collectively earning a 2.78 ERA across 243 innings at their home ballpark.
Probable starting pitchers
Toronto: RHP Kevin Gausman (4-4, 4.03 ERA, 8.53 K/9)
Gausman was simply amazing in his last start against the Padres, tossing seven shutout innings while striking out nine in one of his best outings of the season. He’s been terrific at Rogers Centre this season, where he’s authored a 3-1 record with a 2.93 ERA, but it’s been a different story on the road, where he owns an ugly 5.27 ERA across five starts with just 21 strikeouts across 27 1/3 innings.
However, he’s had a considerable amount of success against the current hitters in the Rangers lineup, holding them to a .184/.229/.388 slash line in 103 combined at-bats against him.
Texas: RHP Jacob deGrom (4-1, 2.33 ERA, 9.62 K/9)
It’s nice to see deGrom healthy and thriving again. He’s been brilliant this month, going 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA while averaging well over a strikeout per inning across four starts. He faced some daunting lineups in that stretch, too, squaring off against the Yankees, Astros, Tigers, and Mariners during that span.
The 36-year-old has regained his elite status this season, ranking in the 80th percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, fastball velocity, chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and walk rate. Surprisingly, Toronto’s hitters only have a combined 11 career at-bats against the righty, collectively going 1-for-11 with nine strikeouts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the only Toronto player to boast a hit off deGrom.
Notable injuries
Pitchers Ryan Burr (shoulder), Erik Swanson (forearm), Nick Sandlin (lat), Yimi Garcia (shoulder) and Max Scherzer (thumb) are all on the injured list for the Blue Jays. Infielder Andres Gimenez (quad) and catcher Tyler Heineman (concussion) are also on the IL.
The Rangers are also pretty banged up, with first baseman Joc Pederson (hand), outfielder Evan Carter (quad), shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring), pitcher Kumar Rocker (shoulder), and pitcher Jon Gray (wrist) all on the injured list. There’s a chance Seager is activated Monday, or at some point during this series, so bettors should watch for any developments on that front, as he’s a very impactful player for the Rangers.
Weather
Forecasts are calling for temperatures around 24 C and clear skies this evening in Arlington, so there’s a chance the retractable roof will be open for this contest (although they don’t open the roof too much throughout the year). Winds will blow from left field to right field at only 9 mph.
Blue Jays vs. Rangers betting trends
- The over is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings.
- The Rangers have the best under record in the majors (36-17-1).
- The Rangers are 17-10 SU and 18-9 on the runline at home this season.
Blue Jays vs. Rangers player prop trends
- deGrom has exceeded his strikeouts line of 6.5 in three straight starts and four of his last five, averaging 7.2 per game during that span. He’s -110 to strike out seven or more batters on Monday.
- Josh Jung is carrying a seven-game hitting streak into action Monday and is -210 to extend that streak.
- Wyatt Langford has struck out a least once in 11 straight games and in 73% of his games this season. He’s a steep -380 to strike out one or more times.
Blue Jays vs. Rangers best bet
- Highest scoring period after the fifth inning: +125 (best odds @ bet365). This is one hell of a starting pitching matchup, and runs should be hard to come by while both of these hurlers are in the game. Oddsmakers clearly feel the same way by setting the game total low at seven runs, which we typically see for playoff baseball in October or when aces line up against each other during the regular season. Additionally, both of these bullpens have been shaky this season. Toronto has blown numerous late leads recently, and Texas’s bullpen owns a lofty 4.17 ERA while converting just 15 of its 24 save chances. We’ll bet that deGrom and Gausman duel it out for the first five or six innings and that the bulk of the offensive damage will be done later in the game once the bullpens get involved, especially at plus money.