The Tampa Bay Rays will look to cash in their first series win of the season after taking two of their first three games against the Toronto Blue Jays.
MLB odds pegged Toronto as the favorite this afternoon though as Kevin Gausman makes his first start of the year for the Jays while the Rays go with Shawn Armstrong in what’s shaping up to be a bullpen game for Tampa.
Will Tampa Bay clinch the series win or can Gausman start his season on a high note? Find out in my Blue Jays vs Rays MLB picks for Sunday, March 31.
Blue Jays vs Rays odds
Blue Jays vs Rays predictions
After scoring eight runs in the season opener, the Toronto Blue Jays have come up short offensively in the last two contests, notching just two runs on Friday and one on Saturday. The Jays will have a good opportunity to turn things around this afternoon, though, as the Tampa Bay Rays opt for a bullpen game.
Right hander Shawn Armstrong is set to start for Tampa after making just six starts in 39 appearances last season and pitching two or more innings just 12 times. The Rays are then expected to hand the ball over to lefty Tyler Alexander as the bulk reliever — the southpaw posted a 4.50 ERA through 25 games last season until suffering a lat tear in early July, so there could be some rust to shake off this afternoon.
It’s a small sample size so far but Toronto has struggled against Tampa’s right handers, batting just .191 vs righties over three games. That trend held up last season, too, as the Jays’ right-heavy lineup batted .272 vs lefties with a .758 OPS compared to .251 vs righties with a .742 OPS. With left-hander Alexander likely to pitch most of the game for the Tampa, the Jays bats should finally make some noise again.
My best bet: Over 7.5 runs (-125 at PROLINE+)
Blue Jays star player prop
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 RBI (+175 at PROLINE+)
While the Jays offense has cooled down over the last two games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has remained one of the few constants throughout the series, notching at least one hit in every game so far. Guerrero’s only RBI of the series came in the opener via a solo home run, but the production is bound to keep flowing if he keeps getting on base.
Vladdy’s four hits in 11 at bats lead the team while he’s also the only Blue Jays player batting above .300 with five or more plate appearances. Guerrero has also recorded an exit velocity of 100+ mph on four occasions this season already — including 111.8 mph on his 450-foot homer in the season opener — so he’s seeing the ball well and hitting it hard. It’s just a matter of time before he starts driving in some runs.
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Blue Jays vs Rays moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- The Blue Jays opened as the road favorite at -125 and have generally remained steady in the -120 to -130 range at most books.
- Today’s total opened at 8.0 runs while dipping to 7.5 at a couple books by Sunday morning.
- The Over is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings between the two clubs, with yesterday’s 5-1 final being the only Under through that span.
Trend to know
The Over is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings in Tampa Bay. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Rays
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Blue Jays vs Rays game info
| Location: | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL |
| Date: | Sunday, March 31, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 1:40 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet, Bally Sports Sun |
Starting pitchers
Kevin Gausman (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Gausman made just one appearance in spring training as he’s been dealing with shoulder soreness, so it’s hard to say how deep he’ll be able to go today. The right hander was excellent for Toronto last season, posting a 3.16 ERA over 185 innings while recording 237 Ks.
Shawn Armstrong (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Armstrong made his season debut on Thursday and allowed one hit and two earned runs on just 29 pitches in 1 1/3 innings. The righty has made just nine career starts over his 10-year career so he isn’t expected to give the Rays many innings today.
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