Thursday's matchup between the Blue Jays and Rangers is set to get started at 2:35 PM ET from Globe Life Field in Arlington. The Blue Jays are the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -106 compared to the Rangers at -112. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.
Toronto will be looking to end a two-game losing streak, as they are 72-80 and in 5th place in the AL East. The Rangers are 3rd in the AL West with a record of 73-79 and will be sending Kumar Rocker to the mound vs. a Blue Jays team that has Kevin Gausman starting.
Toronto vs. Texas Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Blue Jays at Rangers
- Where: Globe Life Field Arlington
- Date: Thursday, September 19th
- Betting Odds TEX -112 | TOR -106 O/U 7.5
Blue Jays vs Rangers Last Game Recap
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Rangers vs Blue Jays series. Texas went into the matchup as slight favorites at -112 and squeaked out a 2-0 win. The Rangers only had five hits in the game but got to Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis, who gave up two earned runs in six innings of work.
Cody Bradford put together a good outing for the Rangers, getting the win after going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but didn't issue a walk. As for the Blue Jays, they wasted a good performance from Francis, who gave up just two earned runs across six innings of work.
Adolis Garcia provided the game's only home run while going 1/4 with two RBIs. He scored both of the Rangers' runs. Toronto's best hitter was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who went 2/4.
Blue Jays Preview
Overall, the Blue Jays have a 76-76 run line record this season, with an average run differential of -0.4 runs per game. They are 48-29 against the run line on the road, but have failed to cover in their last two road games. Toronto's over/under record for the season is 78-70, with an average of 8.8 runs scored per game in their contests.
Toronto is currently in 5th place in the AL East with a 72-80 record, two games behind the Rays for 4th place. They have a 44-28 record as the favorite and 28-52 as the underdog. In their last 10 games, the Blue Jays are 5-5, and they have lost two straight games in this series against the Rangers.
Toronto is sending Kevin Gausman to the mound today vs. the Rangers, and he comes in with a record of 12-11 and an ERA of 4.02. So far this year, he has made 29 starts, and opponents are batting .237 off the right-hander. Gausman has turned in 15 quality starts, and his ERA on the road is 4.59 compared to 6.31 at home. In his last outing, Gausman finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in seven innings of work. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.
Heading into today's game, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. This is also the 11th best batting average in the league. Toronto has been good at putting the ball in play this season, as they have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the league. As a team, the Blue Jays are 21st in home runs.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the league's top power hitters this season, as his 28 home runs are 14th in the league, and his 97 RBIs are the 10th most in the MLB. He is also batting .319 this season. George Springer is on a 3 game hitting streak but is batting just .223 for the season.
Rangers Preview
As the underdog, the Rangers have a 36-33 run line record, and their overall run line record at home is 33-44. Texas has won four straight games at home and has a 43-34 record at Globe Life Field this season.
Texas is 73-79 overall and is currently 3rd in the AL West, trailing the Astros by nine games. This season, Rangers games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record is 71-76. Heading into today's game, they have lost two straight series.
Kumar Rocker and the Rangers are taking on the Blue Jays today in Texas. Rocker started his season with a no-decision on the road against the Mariners, where he went 4 innings, giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits and 2 walks. He did strike out 7 batters in that outing.
Adolis Garcia has been the Rangers' top power threat this season, as his 23 homers is the 2nd most on the team and he is also the team's leader in RBIs with 80. However, Garcia is batting just .218 for the season. Corey Seager has been the team's top hitter this season, batting .278 with 30 homers, which is 12th best in the league. Marcus Semien is also near the top of the home run leaderboard for the Rangers, as his 22 homers is the 3rd most on the team.
Looking at the Rangers' team stats, they are 21st in the league in runs per game, at 4.2. This is the same number they are averaging on the road and at home. As a team, the Rangers are batting just .237, which is 15th in the league, and their team OPS of .683 is also 21st in the MLB.
Blue Jays vs. Rangers Prediction: Blue Jays ML -106
Our pick for today's Blue Jays vs. Rangers matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line, with the payout sitting at -106. We actually have the Blue Jays winning this one by a score of 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Kevin Gausman finishing with six strikeouts, and he is projected to give up five hits. As for Kumar Rocker, we have him finishing with five K's and giving up five hits.
