Toronto Looking For More Road Success Against San Fran
Blue Jays vs Giants MLB Odds Favor Giants
The Toronto Blue Jays try to continue their successful West Coast swing prior to the MLB All-Star break when they take on the host San Francisco Giants in a three-game series beginning on Tuesday. Toronto is struggling to gain ground in the AL playoff race, while San Francisco is trying to stay close in the NL race.
Toronto (41-49) is in last place in the AL East standings, trailing the fourth-place Tampa Bay Rays by three games entering the week. The Blue Jays come into this series on a two-game winning streak, having won a road series against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend.
San Francisco is in fourth place in the NL West race, sitting 1.5 games behind the third-place Arizona Diamondbacks, but it is just 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. The Giants (44-47) have dropped two in a row heading into this series, though they won four out of five prior to the current slide.
The Blue Jays vs Giants MLB odds for the series opener have San Francisco as the favorite, getting -122 odds on the moneyline. Toronto is listed at +104 to pick up the straight-up win.
If you want to bet on the run line, you can get the Blue Jays at +176 when giving 1.5 runs, while San Francisco is -215 when getting those runs. The over/under for the game is set at 7.5 runs, with -110 odds on either side of that wager.
The first two games of the series are set for 9:45 p.m. ET first pitches, with the series finale set for a 3:45 p.m. ET start on Thursday. All games of the series will be played at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Day/Time:
Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco
Streaming: MLB
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Yusei Kikuchi (Toronto) vs Blake Snell (San Francisco)
Veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi will take the mound for the series opener for the Blue Jays. The 33-year-old is 4-8 with a 4.12 ERA, striking out 98 in 94 innings over 18 starts. Kikuchi has dropped his last three decisions and is coming off a no-decision against the Houston Astros on Wednesday in which he went 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two.
The MLB predictions for today are going to be more difficult with the return of left-hander Blake Snell from the injured list. Snell, who is 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA this season, has been out over a month with a groin injury and is making just his seventh start of 2024. In his last outing prior to his stint on the injured list, Snell went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on five hits against the New York Yankees, tying his season-best for innings pitched in a game.
Game 2: Chris Bassitt (Toronto) vs Logan Webb (San Francisco)
Toronto will have righty Chris Bassitt on the mound for the middle game of the series. Bassitt is 7-7 with a 3.43 ERA in 18 starts this season, striking out 94 in 102.1 innings. He took his first loss since mid-May in his last outing, going five innings against the Astros on Thursday and allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking four. That came after a June in which he put up a 1.95 ERA in six starts.
Right-hander Logan Webb will get the start for the Giants on Wednesday. Webb ranked 17th in baseball with a 3.09 ERA heading into this week, going 7-6 in 19 starts with 103 strikeouts. He got a win in his last start, going seven strong innings against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one.
Game 3: Kevin Gausman (Toronto) vs Jordan Hicks (San Francisco)
Toronto will go with veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman to wrap up the series on Thursday. Gausman comes in with a 6-8 mark and 4.64 ERA, striking out 101 in 97 innings over 18 starts. The 33-year-old is coming off a solid start in a loss to the Mariners on Friday, going six innings and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out 10 and walking two.
The Giants are hoping for a better outing from right-hander Jordan Hicks when he takes the mound for Thursday’s contest. Hicks is 4-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 18 starts, but he’s struggled in his last three starts. In each of those games, Hicks has allowed at least three runs in five or fewer innings, moving his ERA up from the 2.82 he had in mid-June.
Blue Jays Hope For More Road Offense
Toronto has struggled offensively this season, ranking 24th in baseball in runs heading into the week with 359. The Blue Jays have been better on the road, however, with an MLB run differential of -13.0 runs compared to -47.0 when playing at home. Toronto would like to see the five runs per game it has averaged in its last two games throughout this series.
A big key to that offense continuing to hum will be the play of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is pacing the Blue Jays in almost every major offensive category. Guerrero is batting .295 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs, 52 RBI and 44 runs scored, leading Toronto in each of those stats.
On the other side, third baseman Matt Chapman has been the Giants’ top hitter, also leading his team in most categories at the plate. Chapman is batting .244 with 24 doubles, 12 home runs, 42 RBI and 59 runs scored.
Blue Jays Keep Rolling On Road
One of the best MLB bets today should be Toronto, facing a pitcher that has struggled all season and is just coming off the injured list. The Blue Jays have been playing better of late, and we think that is going to carry over to at least two victories in this series.
While the Blue Jays vs Giants MLB odds are giving the advantage to the home team, we don’t see San Francisco having enough firepower to stay with Toronto. Put your wagers on the Blue Jays to extend their winning streak on Tuesday and take this series as well.
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