As always, the American League East will be one of the most watched divisions in the bigs in 2016. The battle for division supremacy gets underway Sunday afternoon and you couldn’t really ask for a more anticipated pitching matchup as Marcus Stroman gets the ball for the Toronto Blue Jays while the Tampa Bay Rays counter with Chris Archer.
- The Jays have gone 10-7 SU in the last 17 Sportsbook Day games.
- Stroman has a 5.73 ERA in two career starts versus the Rays.
- Josh Donaldson has just two hits in 17 at-bats (.118) versus Archer.
Online shop Sportsbook is currently offering the Blue Jays as slight faves at -115 in moneyline markets while the Rays come in at -105. The total is set at 7 with both OVER and UNDER that number priced at -115.
Marcus Stroman was injured for the majority of the regular season but returned in memorable fashion down the stretch to help the Jays reach the American League Championship Series.
Chris Archer, however, made six starts versus the Jays last year and the Rays won four of those games. Archer himself posted a 3-2 record with a 3.11 ERA and sensational 1.009 WHIP in those starts.
The season series was just about split down the middle with the Rays holding the slight edge at 10-9 SU. These are two clubs that will battle it out through much of the season for bragging rights in the highly-competitive American League East and with the rivalry getting underway with a pair of aces toeing the slab, it couldn’t be a better start.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The moneyline was hovering in the range of 100 for the Tampa Bay Rays in this one over at Sportsbook. The over under number was sitting near 7 at Sportsbook.
Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas pick a 4.6-4.2 win for the Rays. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Tampa Bay Rays bring a 80-82 record to the battle against the 98-75 Blue Jays. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Tampa Bay vs Toronto injuries news.
According to MLB Power Rankings here, it's the No. 10-ranked Tampa Bay Rays and the No. 3-rated Toronto Blue Jays in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Tampa Bay has baseball's No. 25-rated offensive output, at 8.54 hits per game. The Toronto Blue Jays average 9.05 hits per game, good for No. 7 on the list.
Comparing defensive stats, Toronto owns the No. 22-rated road mark, allowing 4.63 runs per game on the highway. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, rates No. 26 in scoring at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Blue Jays endured a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Royals on Friday, with D Price throwing 6.2 innings of 5-hit ball at Kauffman Stadium.
- Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
- Toronto is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
- Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
- Tampa Bay is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
- Tampa Bay is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto
Next Betting Matchups
Toronto at Tampa Bay, Monday, April 4th
