Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Odds, Prediction
The scuffling Blue Jays return to Rogers Centre to open a six-game homestand Friday night against Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels. Behind Dylan Cease in the opener, Toronto is -160 on the MLB odds with a total of 7.5.
Betting Analysis
The Los Angeles Angels haven’t made the American League playoffs since 2014, and that’s not changing this season. But they might have a say in which team wins the pennant or World Series should they decide to trade three-time AL MVP Mike Trout. As of today, that’s not in the plans, but if Trout finally tires of all the losing in Anaheim, then he might request a trade.
While the future Hall of Famer isn’t playing at an MVP level these days at age 34, he’s having a nice year and most important has been healthy for the most part. Between 2020-24, Trout never played in more than 119 games and that was by far his high in that stretch. But he played in 130 last year and is on track for similar. Trout still has four years left on his contract at about $37 million per season so only a big-market club would likely be interested.
The Angels lost two of three at home to the Jays in April, so this is their last series of the season. Trout had a decent series at 3-for-11 with a solo homer, two walks and three runs scored. Toronto’s Ernie Clement hit .425 in the series with a double and RBI, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 4-for-11 with a homer and four runs scored.
Toronto has swept back-to-back home series vs. the Angels.
Los Angeles Angels
Friday starts a six-game trip for the Angels, who haven’t had many winning streaks this season but enter with back-to-back victories – the club has managed to stitch together three in a row just once. Remember former promising Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah? He was called up by the Angels earlier this week but yet to debut in 2026, expected as a reliever so he might be seen in this series. Manoah hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024 with Toronto due to Tommy John surgery and ineffectiveness.
Reid Detmers is scheduled to start Friday, and he’s 1-2 with a 4.28 ERA. The 26-year-old is a lefty and can eat innings so there will always be a spot in the majors for Detmers even if he’s mediocre at best. He lost at home to Toronto on April 20, allowing four runs and five hits over six innings but has been a bit better away in 2026 at 1-0 with a 3.78 ERA in three starts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 4-for-10 off him with a homer but George Springer 0-for-9 with six Ks. The Angels have lost six straight road games.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays are 10-8 at home this season and maybe that cures their ills as they enter on a four-game skid and totalled seven runs in them: The finale at Minnesota last Sunday followed by a three-game sweep at the Tampa Bay Rays to open this week. In that sweep, Toronto was just 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position. That has been a problem all season. The Blue Jays’ OPS with RISP is .652, second-lowest in the majors.
If there is one bright spot of late in that lineup, it has been rookie Kazuma Okamoto. He had a knock in Wednesday’s shutout loss to extend his hitting streak to six games. In May, Okamoto is batting .375 with five homers and eight RBIs. Outfielder Addison Berger is expected to be activated off the injured list ahead of tonight’s opener.
Righty Dylan Cease (2-1, 3.05 ERA) takes the hill, and he’s among MLB leaders with 56 strikeouts but that’s usually the case. Cease did keep his walks down last time out at the Twins and went a season high seven innings in the victory. He also won at the Angels on April 20, allowing two runs and five hits over five with 12 strikeouts and two walks. Mike Trout can’t hit Cease much, going 2-for-12 with eight strikeouts.
LAA
TOR