With their four-game series knotted at 1-1, the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays square off again today at Tropicana Field.
Yesterday’s matchup was all about the Rays, sparked by Brandon Lowe’s grand slam and a clinical outing from Aaron Civale, who allowed just one run through six innings of work.
Tampa Bay is a narrow favorite here in the latest MLB odds, but the sportsbooks are respecting the Blue Jays’ hitters after an 8-2 win in the series opener. The visitors turn to lefty Yusei Kikuchi this afternoon against righty Zack Littell.
Read on for my free MLB picks for Blue Jays vs. Rays ahead of this March 30 AL East showdown.
Blue Jays vs Rays odds
Blue Jays vs Rays predictions
It’s very early days, but we’ve seen flashes of the power in both of these line-ups through the first two games. The Toronto Blue Jays mashed three home runs on Thursday while the Tampa Bay Rays rode a grand slam and 10 hits yesterday.
Though the scorelines have been lopsided so far in this series, there’s no questioning the teams’ ability to get on base — and I’m picking the bats to fire again here.
A closer look at how Yusei Kikuchi and Zack Littell have fared in this matchup just adds to the case for a high-scoring contest, with Kikuchi allowing at least three earned runs in each of his last three outings against the Rays.
Littell hasn’t fared any better, getting chased by the Toronto bats in two of his appearances last season. The Rays righty allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings in late September and two runs in May while recording just one out in a relief spot.
Just as Harold Ramirez and Yandy Diaz have had success against Kikuchi, the Blue Jays’ lineup has combined for nine career hits against Littell. While we may not get a run-fest, I see both teams putting up at least a trio of runs on the board.
My best bet: Both teams to score 3+ runs (-106 at PROLINE+)
Blue Jays star player prop
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 RBI (+150 at PROLINE+)
This is a huge year for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after back-to-back underwhelming seasons by his high standards, and the clock is ticking for this version of the Blue Jays to make a postseason splash, with big contract extension decisions looming large.
So far, Vladdy looks like a man on a mission. Back in the No. 2 slot in the visitors’ lineup, he clubbed a monster home run on Thursday and served up two of Toronto’s six hits yesterday.
I particularly like these odds given his record against Littell — admittedly, in a small sample size. Guerrero Jr. has won that battle, with two hits in three at-bats, and I’m picking him to drive in a run at The Trop today.
Vladdy hasn’t had a 100-RBI season since his lights-out performance in 2021, but he’s swinging the bat like a man fully capable of getting there this year.
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Blue Jays vs Rays moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- Tampa Bay edged the season series 7-6 in 2023, including back-to-back wins on the final weekend, and enters as the slightest of favorites today.
- The Rays have covered the run line in 27 of their last 44 games, but the Blue Jays have cashed the moneyline in 32 of their last 52 road contests.
- The Over has hit in 10 straight meetings between these AL East rivals — with at least 10 runs in six consecutive matchups.
- Tampa Bay has hit the Over in 47 of its last 77 games at home, and Toronto’s bullpen injuries — Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson — limit the visitors’ ability to shut the game down.
Trend to know
The Rays have hit the team total Over in 94 of their last 164 games. 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: | Saturday, March 30, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SNET1, BSSUN |
Starting pitchers
Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Kikuchi is coming off an impressive bounceback season in 2023, with 11 wins and a 3.86 ERA. He piled up 181 strikeouts but had his struggles against this Tampa Bay lineup.
Zack Littell (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Littell split time between starter and reliever roles last year, posting a 3.93 ERA. The opportunity is there for the righty to nail down a spot in the Rays rotation.
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