The Boston Red Sox (37-35) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (35-36) on Monday, June 17th. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on SNET. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:07 CT.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays
Boston closed out their series vs. the Yankees with an impressive 9-3 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at +123 on the money line. It was a big 2nd inning that really turned things in their favor, as the Red Sox scored two runs in the inning and added another two in the 3rd.
Kutter Crawford put together a good start for the Red Sox, going six innings and giving up just three runs on three hits. He also issued only one walk and struck out nine Yankees batters. Boston’s offense was carried by Ceddanne Rafaela, who went 3/4 with two RBIs.
Boston is 37-35 overall and trails the Yankees by 12 games in the AL East. The Red Sox are on a two-game winning streak, and this came after taking two of three from the Yankees. So far, they are just 7-9 in divisional games this year.
As the Red Sox take on the Blue Jays today, they are on the road where they are 19-15 this year. At home, Boston is 18-20. The Red Sox have been good as the underdog lately, winning two straight as the underdog. Their overall series record is 10-9-4, and they have won two straight series.
When it comes to the run line, the Red Sox have been a better bet on the road this season, going 20-14 versus the number. Their average run differential away from Fenway Park is +1.3 runs per game, which is better than their overall average run differential of +0.5 runs per game. They have been an underdog in 39 games and have covered the run line in 22 of those contests.
The Red Sox are on the road against the Blue Jays with today’s over/under line set at 7.5 runs. Boston’s games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 32-35. The over has hit in six of their nine games when the line was set at 7.5 runs, and their games have had an average line of 8 runs. The over has hit in their last two games.
Nick Pivetta Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Right-hander Nick Pivetta gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. Pivetta has made nine starts this year and has a record of 3-4 with a 3.88 ERA. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Pivetta’s ERA at home is 5.81 compared to 3.56 on the road. Overall, he has allowed eight homers and is averaging 10.68 strikeouts per nine innings.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Red Sox are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .252, which is the 6th best mark in the league, and they are also one of the league’s best power-hitting teams, with a collective isolated power (ISO) of .160.
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox have a few players swinging hot bats. Ceddanne Rafaela has gone 13/34 in his last nine games, and David Hamilton has also been swinging the bat well, going 11/34 in his last nine games. Rafaela is also on a five-game hitting streak. Rafael Devers has been the team’s top power threat this season, as his 13 homers are the best on the team and 10th best in the league.
The Blue Jays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Guardians, closing out their series with a 7-6 win. After allowing two runs to the Guardians in the top of the first, the Blue Jays responded with two runs of their own. Toronto went on to add another two runs in the 2nd inning.
José Berríos had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on eight hits and issuing three walks. However, the Blue Jays were able to pick up the win, and Berríos got the job done in the 6th inning, retiring the side in order. Daulton Varsho had a big game at the plate, going 2/5 with a homer and four RBIs.
Toronto is hosting the Red Sox today with an overall record of 35-36, and they are 4th in the AL East, 13.5 games behind the Yankees for the division lead. The Blue Jays are 9-10 in division play and have won two straight games, taking the final two games of their series vs. the Guardians.
So far this season, the Blue Jays have been good as the favorite, going 29-18, and they are 6-18 as the underdog. At home, they are 18-11 as the favorite. Toronto’s overall home record is 18-16 compared to 17-20 on the road. The Blue Jays’ series record is 9-10-4 this season.
Despite their losing record, the Blue Jays have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 33-38 overall. They have been better on the road, going 21-16, compared to just 12-22 at home. They have an average run margin of -0.4 runs per game on the season.
Today’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox features an over/under line of 7.5 runs. The Blue Jays have played 49 games this season with higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs, which accounts for 69.0% of their games. Their games have averaged a combined 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 30-39 overall. When the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, their record is 11-8.
Yusei Kikuchi Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Red Sox at home. Kikuchi has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 4-5 with a 3.26 ERA. Coming into the game, he has a WHIP of 1.23 and has issued just 2.21 walks per nine innings. Kikuchi has turned in seven quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he didn’t allow a run. In that outing vs. the Brewers, he went five innings and gave up just three hits. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight starts.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Blue Jays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They also have one of the worst home run totals in the league and have struggled with a team batting average of just .232. Toronto’s offense has been even worse of late, as they are batting just .214 over their last 10 games.
Over his last 10 games, Daulton Varsho has gone 8/30 with one home run and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .220. Davis Schneider has also struggled of late, going just 3/28 in his last 10 games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is batting .284 for the season and went 9/37 in his last 10 games.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays Prediction
The best way to play this Red Sox vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line at -132. We have the Blue Jays taking this one by a score of 6-5, so there is a little bit of value on the money line compared to taking the over, as the line is set at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Yusei Kikuchi finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for third in the league today. As for Nick Pivetta, we have him ending the game with six strikeouts, which is 11th in the league today.
Offensively, our projections have the Red Sox finishing with eight hits compared to the Blue Jays with nine. However, we have the Red Sox finishing with five home runs compared to the Blue Jays with four.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 17, 2024 Blue Jays, Red Sox