Thursday's matchup between the Rays and Blue Jays is set to get started at 3:07 PM ET from Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. Tampa Bay is 51-51 this season, and they are 4th in the AL East, while the Blue Jays are 46-55 and 5th in the AL East.
The over/under line for Thursday's game is at 7.5 runs, and the Rays are slight money line favorites, with their odds sitting at -110 compared to the Blue Jays at -108. Chris Bassitt will start for the Blue Jays, and the Rays are starting Taj Bradley.
Tampa Bay vs. Toronto Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Rays at Blue Jays
- Where: Rogers Centre Toronto
- Date: Thursday, July 25th
- Betting Odds TB -110 | TOR -108 O/U 7.5
Rays vs Blue Jays Last Game Recap
Toronto picked up a 6-3 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Blue Jays had a huge 8th inning, scoring four of their six runs. As for the Rays, they scored their final run in the 9th. Heading into the game, the Blue Jays were at +101 on the money line.
Yariel Rodriguez got the start for the Blue Jays, going just 5 2/3 innings while giving up two runs and striking out six. He did not factor into the decision, as Génesis Cabrera got the win out of the bullpen. Jason Adam took the loss for the Rays out of the bullpen.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Justin Turner each had three hits and two RBIs for the Blue Jays' offense. Randy Arozarena had a two-hit game for the Rays.
Rays Preview
When the Rays win, they win big, with an average run margin of +2.5 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.9 runs per game. As a result, their run line record is 48-54, including 28-20 on the road. Overall, the Rays are 24-24 on the road this season.
The Rays are currently tied in their series vs. the Blue Jays, and their overall series record this season is 16-12-3. Tampa Bay is 9 games behind the Orioles in the AL East and 3.5 games behind the Red Sox for the final Wild Card spot. They have a 51-51 overall record.
Taj Bradley gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. So far this season, he has made 13 starts and has a record of 5-4. Bradley's ERA is currently 2.63, along with a WHIP of 1.05. In his 13 starts, he has turned in six quality starts and is averaging 10.75 strikeouts per nine innings. Bradley most recently faced the Yankees, where he picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He has not allowed a home run in his last two outings.
Over his last seven games, Randy Arozarena has gone 9/24 with three homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .213, but his 15 homers are the 2nd most on the team. Isaac Paredes has been the Rays' top power threat this season, as his 16 homers lead the team and are the 14th most in the league. He is also batting .248.
As a team, the Rays are 27th in scoring at 3.9 runs per game. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.7 runs per game. Tampa Bay's team batting average is just .233, and they have the league's 20th ranked home run total. Currently, Brandon Lowe and Jose Siri are both on three-game homer streaks, but Lowe is just 3/22 in his last six games.
Blue Jays Preview
As underdogs, the Blue Jays have covered the run line in two straight games, and their overall run line record is 48-53. They have an average run margin of 3.1 runs in wins and -3.8 runs in losses this season. The over/under record for Blue Jays games is 52-46, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs.
Currently, the Blue Jays are 14 games behind the Orioles in the AL East, holding a 46-55 record. They are 4.5 games behind the Rays, who they will face today. This season, the Blue Jays have gone 23-27 at home and 23-28 on the road, and they have lost two straight series.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt is starting for the Blue Jays today vs. the Rays and comes into the game with a record of 8-8 and an ERA of 3.71. This year, he has made 20 starts, and opponents are batting .257 off him. In his last outing, Bassitt took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work vs. the Tigers. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Bassitt has a WHIP of 1.42 this year and has allowed a total of 10 homers. Looking at his home/road splits, he is 5-5 at home with a 5.27 ERA compared to 3-3 on the road with a 3.42 ERA.
For the season, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .236, which is 14th in the MLB, but their on-base percentage of .309 and OPS of .687 are both below average. Toronto's offense has been led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is hitting .296 for the season and has gone 8/18 with four homers over his last five games.
Guerrero Jr. is not only leading the Blue Jays in home runs but also in RBIs (62). George Springer is 2nd on the team with 13 homers but is batting just .227 for the season. Springer is also 2nd on the team in RBIs, with 40. As a team, the Blue Jays are 21st in home runs and have the 4th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Rays vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Rays ML -110
Our pick for today's Rays vs. Blue Jays game is to take the Rays on the money line, with the payout being -110. We have the Rays winning this one by a score of 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Bassitt is projected to finish with the highest ERA of all starters today, and we have him finishing with five strikeouts. As for the Rays starter, Taj Bradley is projected to finish with eight strikeouts, and we have him finishing with an ERA of 3.00.
