Toronto Blue Jays vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: Odds, Prediction
The Toronto Blue Jays head out to the western United States for the first time this season as they visit a bit of a conundrum team in the Diamondbacks on Friday night to open a weekend series. Arizona is -130 on the MLB odds with a total of 9.0 runs.
Betting Analysis
What to make of the 2026 Arizona Diamondbacks? It’s one of those clubs that honestly could win the World Series if everything broke right but also finish under .500. As recently as 2023, this franchise did make a surprise run to the Fall Classic (lost) but hasn’t reached the playoffs since and slipped to 80-82 last year. That has probably put manager Torey Lovullo on a bit of a hot seat and maybe it’s just time for a new voice as Lovullo has been there since 2017. But the team is playing well thus far.
The Diamondbacks have two lineup All-Stars who would start for any team in the majors in second baseman Ketel Marte and outfielder Corbin Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year. The rest of the lineup is a bit of a question and so is the rotation behind Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Ahead of the 2025 season, the team shelled out a $210 million (US) free-agent contract on former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, but he was limited to just 11 starts and then underwent Tommy John surgery. The hope is a July return and if Burnes can get even some of that past stuff back, maybe Arizona can make some noise. But it is currently a +150 underdog for the playoffs.
Toronto is 15-13 all-time vs. Arizona and won two of three in 2025 at home but lost two of three the season before in Phoenix.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto offence went into hibernation in the final two games of a three-game set in Milwaukee to open the week with the Jays losing those two by the same score of 2-1 on Wednesday and Thursday. Clearly, the club misses George Springer and Alejandro Kirk, both still on the injured list.
“We’ve got to get back to everyone doing their part, whether that’s contact or slug,” manager John Schneider said to the media after Thursday’s loss. “It seems like we’re missing that extra-base hit right now.”
The Jays may need a lot of runs to win on Friday because starting pitcher Eric Lauer is 1-2 with a 7.82 ERA. Lauer was so important to the 2025 Jays as one of the AL’s biggest surprises, and he reportedly has been dealing with a bit of a bug for a spell this season so perhaps that explains the numbers.
His first two outings weren’t bad, but Lauer was smashed last time out by the Twins. The veteran had made 10 career starts vs. Arizona and is 4-4 with a stellar 2.38 ERA in 56.2 innings. Ketel Marte hammers him, though, going 7-for-19 with two homers and a double.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona has one major advantage here in that it was off on Thursday, so the bullpen will be fully ready. The Snakes finished a long road trip through New York (Mets), Philadelphia and Baltimore at an impressive 6-3 and have won two straight entering.
That despite the club having three regulars on the injured list in catcher Gabriel Moreno (a former Blue Jay), first baseman Carlos Santana and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel, among a few others. With Moreno out, Adrian Del Castillo has been playing nearly every game behind the plate and has taken advantage on a six-game hit streak with 10 RBIs.
Former touted Braves prospect Michael Soroka takes the mound Friday. The Calgary native, now 28, never lived up to the hype – injuries played a role — but has been good so far at 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA.
We would guess that Soroka would be pretty fired up to face Canada’s only MLB club. He is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in 23.0 career innings vs. the Blue Jays. Consider an Andres Gimenez over 1.5 total bases prop as he’s 3-for-8 career off Soroka with two homers.
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