A’s vs Blue Jays Betting  Breakdown for Tonight’s Game 1

The Toronto Blue Jays begin a three-game series tonight against the Oakland Athletics at Rogers Centre.

While the Blue Jays are favored, the Athletics have been playing better than their record suggests, making this a potentially intriguing matchup.

Game Information

• 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)

Prediction and Analysis

Oakland Athletics’ Recent Form

Despite owning one of the worst records in the American League at 48-68, the Oakland Athletics have been surprisingly strong in the second half of the season, going 11-7 since the All-Star break. This record is second-best in the AL over that span, trailing only the Kansas City Royals.

The A’s have secured unexpected wins against top teams like the Dodgers and Giants and have also won series against the Angels and Astros. Their pitching has been a key factor in this resurgence, boasting a 3.71 team ERA since the break.

Mitch Spence, who will be on the mound tonight, has been a solid contributor, allowing only five earned runs in his last three starts against strong teams like the Dodgers and Angels.

Toronto Blue Jays’ Struggles

On the other side, the Toronto Blue Jays have been struggling, particularly with starting pitcher Jose Berrios. Berrios had a rough July, posting a 6.08 ERA, and followed that up by allowing six runs (five earned) and three homers to the Yankees in his last outing. The Jays have also been inconsistent offensively, averaging just 4.2 runs over their last five games.

Matchup Expectations

Given the recent form of both teams, the Athletics have a legitimate chance to pull off an upset in this game. If Spence can maintain his current form and Berrios continues to struggle, Oakland could take advantage and steal a win in Toronto.

Odds and Betting Trends

Opening Odds at BetOnline

• Run Line: Oakland +1.5 (-225) | Toronto -1.5 (+165)
• Moneyline: Oakland +105 | Toronto -125
• Over/Under: 8.5

The Blue Jays opened as favorites at -132, but betting has moved their odds closer to -150. The Athletics, meanwhile, opened at +122 and have been backed by bettors looking for value in their recent hot streak.

Betting Trends

• The Athletics have hit the moneyline in 18 of their last 30 games and covered the run line in 19 of those outings.
• The Over is 7-1 in Toronto’s last eight home games.
• The Under has hit in each of Oakland’s last four games.

Injuries

Toronto Blue Jays

• Bo Bichette (SS): Out indefinitely – Leg
• Orelvis Martinez (SS): Late September – Suspension
• Jordan Romano (RP): Out indefinitely – Elbow

Oakland Athletics

• Tyler Nevin (RF): Questionable for Friday – Undisclosed
• Seth Brown (LF): Out indefinitely – Personal
• Jacob Wilson (SS): Out indefinitely – Hamstring

Final Thoughts

The Athletics have been in good form recently, and with Mitch Spence on the mound against a struggling Jose Berrios, Oakland has a solid opportunity to continue their strong second-half performance with a win tonight against the Blue Jays.

It will be interesting to see how the pitching matchup unfolds, as it will likely be the deciding factor in this game.