The Toronto Blue Jays begin a three-game set tonight against the Oakland Athletics, who have come on strong with an 11-7 record in the second half.
Meanwhile, Jays starter Jose Berrios has struggled mightily and exits one of his worst outings of the season after giving up six runs to the Yankees last Saturday.
Keep reading to find out why I think the visitors could pull off a surprising win in my Athletics vs Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for Friday, August 9.
A’s vs Blue Jays prediction
My best bet
Athletics moneyline (+120 at PROLINE+)
My analysis
Despite owning the second-worst record in the American League at 48-68, the Oakland Athletics have come on strong in the second half, going 11-7 since the All-Star game — the second-best record in the AL over that span behind the Royals (12-7). Although the A’s are underdogs tonight, I think they’ve got a good chance at pulling off the upset in Toronto.
The A’s have recently taken some unlikely wins off the Dodgers and Giants while also winning two series against the Angels and one against the Astros since the break. Most of the credit goes to their pitching, which boasts a 3.71 team ERA in the second half. I expect that trend to continue tonight as Mitch Spence should be able to outduel a struggling Jose Berrios.
After giving up 10 earned runs and five homers across two starts in mid-July, Spence has found his form again over his last three outings, allowing a combined five earned runs vs. the Dodgers and Angels. The right-hander hasn’t surrendered more than two runs in three straight starts while the Toronto Blue Jays are averaging just 4.2 runs over their last five contests.
Berrios, meanwhile, has been brutal for Toronto since the start of July. He posted a 6.08 ERA last month then allowed six runs (five earned) and three homers to the Yankees on August 3. Assuming the Jays starter doesn’t turn things around, we could easily see the Athletics steal this one.
Blue Jays star player prop
My best bet
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 RBI (+120 at PROLINE+)
My analysis
While not much has gone right for the Jays this season, things are currently going very well for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has now collected a hit in all 19 games since the All-Star break. The Jays slugger is batting an insane .524 with two home runs and six RBI over the last week and I’ll look for him to drive in another run tonight.
Guerrero Jr. is fresh off a three-hit, four-RBI performance against the Orioles last night, bringing him up to 21 RBI in the second half, which is tied for third most in the majors. He’s driven in a run in seven of his last 11 contests and there’s no reason to think he’ll slow down tonight.
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A’s vs Blue Jays odds
A’s vs Blue Jays live odds
A’s vs Blue Jays opening odds
- Run line: Oakland +1.5 (-225) | Toronto -1.5 (+165)
- Moneyline: Oakland +105 | Toronto -125
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
A’s vs Blue Jays spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Blue Jays opened at -132 with the Athletics at +122, while betting has pushed Toronto closer to -150 at most books. 76% of bettors have their money on the Jays as of Friday afternoon.
- The Athletics have hit the moneyline in 18 of their last 30 games and covered the run line in 19 of those outings.
- Tonight’s total opened at 8.5 with the Under going 4-0 in Oakland’s last four and the Over going 7-3 in Toronto’s last 10.
A’s vs Blue Jays trend
The Over is 7-1 in Toronto’s last eight home games. Find more MLB betting trends for A’s vs. Blue Jays.
A’s vs Blue Jays game info
| Location: | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Friday, 8-9-2024 |
| First pitch: | 7:07 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCSCA, Sportsnet |
| A’s starting pitcher: | Mitch Spence (7-7, 4.40 ERA) |
| Blue Jays starting pitcher: | Jose Berrios (9-9, 4.11 ERA) |
A’s vs Blue Jays latest injuries
A’s vs Blue Jays weather
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