Toronto Blue Jays vs. Houston Astros: Odds, Picks and Prediction
The Astros are -125 favourites on the baseball odds with a total of nine runs.
MLB Betting Odds and Trends
This seven-game trip for Toronto that starts Monday was originally only to be six games with three in Houston, Thursday off and then three in Philadelphia this weekend. But the Blue Jays have to play a makeup game now Thursday at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
And Monday afternoon is the MLB Trade Deadline, so the Jays might look quite different than they did Sunday. Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman and outfielder Daulton Varsho were two guys expected to be traded as both are pending free agents; Gausman has been shipped to the Cubs. But the Jays apparently want to keep closer Louis Varland even though he would bring back a nice haul under team control through 2028.
If the surging Astros do something by today’s deadline, they will add. In fact, there are some rumours out there that Houston would like to bring back Blue Jays outfielder George Springer via trade. The former World Series MVP for the Astros is another pending free agent.
Toronto has lost the past two season series and also lost two of three to the Astros at Rogers Centre from June 22-24. Varsho had a big series at 6-for-14 with two doubles and a homer. Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, the AL MVP favourite who might win the Triple Crown, was 3-for-9 with three runs scored and six walks in the series.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto made one surprising trade Monday in that it added a good starting pitcher in Jose Soriano from the Angels for three prospects, but that deal is more likely about 2027 because Soriano is under team control through 2028. The Jays had a chance to sweep visiting St. Louis on Sunday to complete a homestand but had a three-game winning streak snapped in a 5-1 loss with closer Louis Varland taking the defeat due to a four-run Cardinals’ ninth inning. He threw a total of 31 pitches and thus likely is not available tonight. Right-hander Shane Bieber (2-2, 5.74 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound Monday, but it’s quite possible he’s traded and thus scratched. Although, Bieber doesn’t have much value with that ERA and a big salary and the fact he walked a career-high six last time out in lasting just two-thirds of an inning in a blowout loss at Washington. The former Cy Young winner is now 0-2 with a 12.54 ERA in three road starts.
Houston Astros
Houston was swept its first three games out of the All-Star break but has just one loss since and enters on a six-game winning streak. Yordan Alvarez tied his career high with four more hits on Sunday, and the clear AL MVP favourite leads the Junior Circuit in batting average (.330), home runs (35) and RBIs (84). A Triple Crown now looks likely barring injury. Shortstop Jeremy Pena is also hot right now on a 14-game hitting streak and batting .433 with seven homers in that span. If this team gets any starting pitching, look out. Cristian Javier (1-1, 7.17 ERA) gets the call tonight in only his ninth appearance of the year due to a lengthy injured list stint. The 29-year-old was a very good pitcher for the Astros from 2020-23 until injuries hit. Javier did go a season-high five innings last time out and blanked the Angels. The Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t had much success against him career at 1-for-9 with two Ks.
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