The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Oakland Athletics for a three-game MLB betting set and their first series of the regular season against the A’s.
Time: 10:05 PM
Venue: Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
Sportsbook MLB Betting odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Blue Jays -1½ (+155) 8 (-115) -105 914
Athletics +1½ (-175) 8 (-105) -105
Toronto
On the mound: J.A. Happ (LHP, 0-3, 4.50 ERA, 23 K) surrendered two runs in four innings in his first appearance since coming back from the disabled list with left elbow inflammation. He threw only 81 pitches on account of not having a start in a month and a half, but he should be throwing somewhere in the vicinity of 90 to 95. Happ had 20 strikeouts and no walks in 16 innings in three starts in April. On the other hand, he gave up six homers in his first 20 innings. Happ threw his changeup – which he may or may not call The Happenstance – at an average speed of 79.4 mph as a rookie in 2008. That velocity has increased nearly every season since, reaching a career high of 86.1 mph this season.
At bat: The Blue Jays have 49 homers in 28 games in May thanks in no small part to the returns of Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki.
Trends for fans who bet on baseball: The BJs have won 10 of their last 13 games and four of their last six on the road, but have only covered in one fifth of their last five games. The MLB betting total has gone over in 11 of the Jays’ last 16 road games.
Oakland
On the mound: Sean Manaea (LHP, 4-3, 3.91 ERA, 54 K) has won his last three straight starts, and has gone to seven innings in his last two – striking out a total of 17 between Yankees and Indians and surrendering only three earned runs in 19 innings. The lefty’s strikeout rate has increased from 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings last season to 10.1 in 2017. Manaea’s primary pitch, a four-seam fastball, averages 92.2 mph. Opposing batters have managed to hit only .184 with a .287 slugging percentage against that selfsame pitch. And his slider has held hitters to a .087 average with a 26.3% whiff rate.
At bat: The A’s entered Sunday ranked in the Top 5 for team home runs, courtesy of Yonder Alonso and Khris Davis.
Trends for fans who bet on baseball: Oakland has lost seven of the last nine games four of the last six at home, and seven of the last 10 encounters with Toronto, but have prevailed in seven of the last times hosting the Blue Jays. The A’s have covered only in two of their last eight games and two of the last six at home. The MLB betting total has gone over in four of Oakland’s last six games, over in six of their last seven home games, and over in four of the Athletics’ last six games versus the Blue Jays.