The Toronto Blue Jays will try to rebound after getting swept in Tampa Bay earlier this week when they return home on Friday to take on the visiting Washington Nationals as small +109 home underdogs on the MLB odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto’s road woes continued with Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Rays as -118 chalk, and they scored just six total runs during their three-game set in Tampa Bay. That extends a worrisome trend for the club, which has scored more than three runs in just three of nine contests ahead of Friday night’s Nationals vs. Blue Jays betting matchup at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays enter the weekend riding a four-game win streak on home turf after sweeping the lowly Baltimore Orioles last weekend, but wins have otherwise been scarce at Rogers Centre, with the club going 1-10 in 11 dates prior to the Orioles’ visit. But while Toronto hitters have struggled at the plate, the pitching staff has gotten the job done.
Blue Jay hitters have averaged just 3.88 runs per game over their past nine outings, which includes last Sunday’s 13-3 rout of the Orioles as -135 home chalk. Blue Jays hurlers, though, have limited opposing hitters to fewer than seven hits per game over their past seven outings, and to four or fewer runs in eight of 10.
That has produced steady results for sports bettors taking the UNDER in totals betting, which has gone 8-2 in the Blue Jays’ past 10 overall, and 8-2-2 in their past 12 home contests.
The Nationals travel to Toronto as -129 betting favourites after posting a 5-4 win in New York as +157 underdogs on Wednesday, which earned them a split in their brief two-game series with the Yankees. However, after powering through May on a 19-6 run, Washington has struggled, going 5-6 in its past 11 games, and now trails the surprising Atlanta Braves in the hunt for top spot in the NL East standings.
Power outages have plagued the Nationals during their current swoon. Washington has been blanked on three occasions over its past 11 games, including consecutive shutout losses to the Yankees and San Francisco Giants earlier this week, and have been limited to two or fewer runs in six of its past 12 overall.
Despite their recent struggles, the Nationals remain -275 favorites on the odds to win the NL East, and are a strong +800 bet on the World Series odds. Washington has also dominated the Blue Jays in recent meetings, going 7-3 in their past 10 clashes, including four straight wins in Toronto.
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