The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to put the brakes on a dismal run that has seen the club produce just three wins in their past 12 outings when they open a three-game weekend series with the AL West-leading Houston Astros on Friday as plus-170 home underdogs on the MLB odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto continues a brief five-game homestand after splitting a pair of interleague contests with the Atlanta Braves, and takes a 7-7 record over its past 14 home dates into Friday night’s Astros vs. Blue Jays betting matchup at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays enjoyed a much-needed day off Thursday after dropping a 9-4 decision to the Braves as plus-120 home underdogs Wednesday night. With Toronto starters combining to pitch just five total innings, the club’s bullpen was forced to carry the load, sending 10 relievers to the mound over the course of the two-game series.
Pitching has been spotty at times during the Blue Jays’ 12-game swoon. The club has surrendered seven or more runs on five occasions over their past 12 outings, but has tightened things up of late, limiting opponents to three or fewer runs in four of their past seven games.
That has helped to extend a lengthy 11-5-1 run for the under in totals betting, including an 8-2-1 run for the under over the club’s past 11 home dates, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. However, things get no easier for the Blue Jays as they prepare to take on the Astros, who arrive in town for Friday night’s contest as heavy minus-200 road chalk.
Houston is coming off a narrow 9-8 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays as minus-240 home favourites Thursday afternoon, marking just the club’s second defeat in its past 11 contests. The Astros’ steady play has solidified their perch atop the AL West standings, where they maintain a nine-game lead over the second-place Oakland A’s, and also kept them leading the way on the World Series odds as plus-225 favourites.
The Astros have endured some recent road woes, falling to defeat in six of their past eight games away from Minute Maid Park. Houston has also struggled at times in recent visits to the Rogers Centre, going 5-8 in 13 meetings since June 15.
However, the Astros took two of three from the Blue Jays in a low-scoring series in Toronto last September. The club also topped the Blue Jays twice over a three-game set in Houston back in June, with each team claiming a victory by a double-digit margin during that series.
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