Jays vs Athletics Picks & Odds: Toronto Favored Despite Losing Streak

The Toronto Blue Jays (44-37) are falling into a slump after losing their last four, including an upset yesterday against the last-place Oakland Athletics (27-55). Even with the city’s showers this morning, the Jays’ drought carried on after scoring only one hit in their 5-1 loss. The two teams will host their second of a three-game set tonight as Toronto hopes to end their losing streak in our Jays vs A’s prediction.

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Jays vs Athletics Sportsbook Odds

Sportsbook Odds

Despite their rough start on their West Coast trip, Toronto still manages to be tonight’s favorite at -180 while Oakland is listed as only a slight under at +160. The total runs are set at 8 with the Jays going OVER in their last 13-of-16. The two teams have also gone OVER in 5-of-7 meetings at the Coliseum, leaning towards a prominent pick in our Jays vs A’s prediction.

Starting Pitchers

Oakland is putting Adrian Martinez (1-1) on the mound for the third time this season. The right-handed pitcher will be looking to redeem himself after allowing seven runs in his last Sportsbook, leading to his team’s downfall in a close 8-6 loss against the Seattle Mariners on June 30.

With a long list of injured pitchers, Yusei Kikuchi (3-4) will get a chance to throw for Toronto. Despite his unpredictable stats, Kikuchi is coming off his best start of the season with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last week.

The southpaw allowed only one run and rocked the Rogers Centre with eight strikeouts. The A’s lineup is averaging only .219 against left-handed pitchers, so you can expect Kikuchi’s dominant hand to do some damage tonight.

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Pitching Struggles Continue For Toronto

A quick scan through the Jays’ injuries and you’ll see a list of their pitchers. Some are considered day-to-day while others aren’t expected back on the mound in months, including Hyun-Jin Ryu who is officially done for the season with an elbow injury. The Jays’ pitching has given up 29 runs, making generous contributions to the team’s four-game losing streak.

With unpredictable pitching coming from both sides, the Jays’ offense needs to pick up the slack and try to get back on their homerun grind. Toronto is 33-19 when scoring over eight hits, so taking advantage of Martinez’s uncertainty is crucial.

Oakland Continues To Struggle In Rebuild Period

With a glance at the stats or just watching a couple of innings of the A’s play, it’s not secreted they’re quite literally the worst team in the league. The team is averaging 3.17 runs per game, the second-worst in the standings ahead of the Detroit Tigers. While the Jays are earning 4.70 runs per game. Simply put, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say last night’s outcome was pure luck for the A’s.

The beginning of this season marked another dreading step into Oakland’s rebuild, after losing pitcher Chris Bassitt, coveted third baseman Matt Chapman and Matt Olson. So, their lack of wins comes as no shock now and during the months to come.

Jays vs Athletics Picks & Insights

Jays: Keys To Victory

After ranking third for home runs in June, Toronto will have to get a grip on their bats tonight and regain some confidence back by dominating the doubtful pitcher. These next few wins are critical for the group as they battle for a wild card spot.

It’s important they take advantage of playing some of the worst teams these next few games while their fellow wild card spots verse one another. Toronto should have no issue outscoring Oakland in our Jays vs A’s pick.

A's: Keys To Victory

If there is any chance to repeat what Oakland accomplished yesterday, it’s to keep using what’s working. After each pocketing a home run in last night’s meet, Stephen Vogt and Ramon Laureano can try to help out (improve) their 9-18 record against left-handed pitchers. While the Jays are feeling the pressure, the A’s have none.

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