Blue Jays trail favourites on updated AL East odds

Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder George Springer (4) celebrates his RBI double against the Kansas City Royals during second inning MLB action in Toronto on Friday, July 30, 2021. (Peter Power/CP)

The Toronto Blue Jays have received an immediate boost from their recent return to Rogers Centre, winning four of their first five contests on their home turf. However, with substantial ground still to be made up in the division standings, the Blue Jays continue to lag behind the favourites as a +1000 bet on the AL East odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Bolstered by the acquisition of two-time All-Star pitcher Jose Berrios just ahead of the recent MLB trade deadline, Toronto has entered the month of August on a tear, posting wins in six of eight outings heading into Wednesday night's matchup with the visiting Cleveland Indians. And while the team remains stalled in fourth place in the divison standings, seven games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, they are far from out of the race to win the AL East.

The team enjoys the benefit of a favourable schedule down the stretch, with 32 of its final 58 games set to take place at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays also have a chance to make gains on the road, with 16 of their final 26 away dates coming against opponents currently sporting losing records.

Currently leading the way by a narrow one-game margin over the Boston Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays are set as +100 favourites at betting sites to repeat as AL East champions. The Rays steadily closed the gap on Boston, climbing to the top of the division with a three-game sweep of the Red Sox this past weekend. But Tampa Bay has been plagued by streaky play, enduring three losing streaks of at least three games each since mid-June, and has lost 12 of its past 18 games on the road.

Further down the AL East futures, the Red Sox closely follow Tampa Bay as a +125 wager. The New York Yankees sit just ahead of Toronto at +900 on those MLB odds, while the Baltimore Orioles trail as distant +100000 longshots.

Winners of just 24 games last season, the Red Sox have emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the current campaign. The Red Sox enjoyed a stellar first half, marching to a 54-32 record. However, they have slowed down considerably since then, losing each of their past five games, and going 9-13 in their past 22 outings.

Conversely, the Yankees have rebounded from a middling first half, going 11-6 since the All-Star Break to pull to within six games of the division lead. However, a recent outbreak of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the Yankees pitching staff, sidelining Jordan Montgomery and AL Cy Young contender Gerrit Cole.

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