The Toronto Blue Jays (65-70) travel to face off against the Boston Red Sox (69-64) on Thursday, August 29th. This game will be played at Fenway Park in Boston and televised on NESN. The Red Sox are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Red Sox. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Red Sox (-140)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 9 Runs
- The Red Sox have won 4 out of their last 6 home games.
- In the last 15 games, the Red Sox have scored 5 or more runs in 8 games.
- The Red Sox have a winning streak of 2 games against the Blue Jays in their most recent series.
- In their last 15 games, the Red Sox have a higher average runs scored per game (4.8) compared to the Blue Jays (3.9).
- The Red Sox have a better home record (31-37) compared to the Blue Jays’ away record (31-37).
Blue Jays vs Red Sox
It was all Boston in the last game of this series, as the Red Sox took down the Blue Jays by a score of 3-0. The Red Sox offense only had two more hits than the Blue Jays and struck out 10 times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -136 on the money line.
Toronto wasted a good outing from Chris Bassitt, as he gave up just one hit and one earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work for the Blue Jays. Bassitt did take the loss in the game. On the other side, Brayan Bello pitched well for the Red Sox, getting the win after going eight innings and giving up two hits.
Both Tyler O’Neill and Masataka Yoshida each had two RBIs for the Red Sox’ offense. O’Neill hit the game’s only home run.
On the road, the Blue Jays have a 43-25 run line record, but they have failed to cover in their last two games. Overall, their games have averaged 8 runs per game, and the under has hit in 80% of their games this season.
Toronto is 65-70 overall and trails the Yankees by 13.5 games in the AL East. They are currently losing their series vs. the Red Sox 1-2 and have an overall series record of 15-21-5 this season.
Bowden Francis Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Toronto is sending right-hander Bowden Francis to the mound today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. Francis has made 22 appearances this year and has a record of 7-3 with a 4.02 ERA. In his 8 starts, he has a batting average allowed of .215 and has turned in three quality starts. Francis has been pitching well recently, as he has picked up the win in each of his last three outings. Most recently, he went 8 innings vs. the Angels, giving up just one earned run on 12 hits. Before that, he had back-to-back scoreless outings.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Blue Jays offense has been pretty average in most major categories, as they are 22nd in runs scored (4.2 per game), and have the league’s 20th ranked home run total. As a team, they are batting .239, which is 13th in the league. One thing they have done well is avoid strikeouts, as they have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the league.
George Springer has struggled for the Blue Jays this season, batting just .219, and he has really struggled of late, going 7/36 in his last nine games. However, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire of late, going 13/32 in his last nine games, with two homers. For the season, he is batting .322 with a team-high 27 homers and 87 RBIs.
For the season, Boston games have averaged 9.7 runs, and their over/under record stands at 69-57. When the O/U line is set at 9 runs, their record is 8-5-3. The Red Sox are 3rd in the AL East, 8.5 games behind the Yankees, with a 69-64 overall record.
As underdogs, the Red Sox are 39-28 against the run line. They have a 24-44 run line record at home, but on the road, they are 38-27. Boston has won two straight games and has a 4-6 record in their last 10 games.
Kutter Crawford Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Right-hander Kutter Crawford gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Blue Jays at home. Crawford has made 27 starts this season and has a record of 8-11 with a 4.19 ERA. So far, he has turned in 11 quality starts and is averaging 8.37 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Crawford took the loss, going five innings and giving up two earned runs on three hits. He has lost each of his last three starts. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are the league’s 6th highest-scoring offense at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, the Red Sox are 3rd in team batting average (.259) and have the league’s 6th most home runs. One of the reasons for their strong offensive numbers is that they are one of the league’s toughest teams to strike out.
Jarren Duran has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 13/36 in his last 10 games with four homers. He is also on a three-game hitting streak. For the season, Duran is batting .295 with 20 homers. Rafael Devers has also been a big power threat for the Red Sox, with his 28 homers being the best mark on the team and 9th best in the league. He is also 14th in the league with 80 RBIs.
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Prediction
Our prediction for this Blue Jays vs. Red Sox matchup is to take the Red Sox on the money line at -140. We have the Red Sox winning this game 6-5, giving us a little bit of wiggle room with the over/under line sitting at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Kutter Crawford of the Red Sox has a better chance of picking up a win than Bowden Francis of the Blue Jays. However, Crawford is projected to finish with just five strikeouts, so you may want to look at some of the strikeout props for the Red Sox.
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:August 29, 2024 Blue Jays, Red Sox