Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox Betting Preview/Prop Picks
22 July 2022
Now that the All-Star break is over, it's time to start the second half of the MLB season. Today, we'll see the Toronto Blue Jays face off against the Boston Red Sox.
Toronto, with a record of 50-43, ranks third in the AL East, just behind the Tampa Bay Rays. However, they've got one team following behind that they need to worry about, the Boston Red Sox.
With a record of 48-45, the Red Sox are only a few games behind the Blue Jays. Ranking fourth in the AL East, Boston has lost six of its last seven games.
In order to get back on track, the Red Sox needs to start winning. If they fail to do that, they could continue to plummet down the AL East standings. However, a win could put them in place to take over the third spot.
Toronto Blue Jays: Blue Jays looking to end road losing streak
Having lost four games on the road, the Toronto Blue Jays are in a precarious position. They have a small lead on the Red Sox but are only a game behind the Tampa Bay Rays. If they can win tonight, the second spot could be theirs to grab.
On the mound to help with this is Kevin Gausman, who has a 6-7 record this season. Don't let his under .500 record fool you, though.
Gausman is one of the Blue Jays' best pitchers in terms of an earned run average. His ERA sits at 2.87, and he has thrown 106 strikeouts in only 94 innings.
With Gausman on the mound, the Blue Jays have a great chance at slowing down the Red Sox batters. Speaking of batting, Toronto ranks second in MLB with a .262 team batting average, with an OBP of .326.
Boston Red Sox: Red Sox look to stop the skid as well
The Red Sox lost two games to the New York Yankees before the All-Star break. Now, they face another team that leads them in the AL East. In order to avoid falling further in the division, the Red Sox need a win.
On the mound tonight is Nathan Eovaldi, who is 4-2 as a starter this season. Eovaldi has an ERA of 3.34 and 76 strikeouts over the course of 72.2 innings.
At one point, the Boston Red Sox led the league in batting. Now, they've fallen to the fourth-place spot with a batting average of .256. They also have an on-base percentage of .318, ranking 12th in Major League Baseball.
At home, the Boston Red Sox have a record of 23-20, just over .500. We'll have to see if playing at home gives them a boost in tonight's game.
Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox Betting Pick
When looking at each of these teams, the similarities begin to show themselves. Both of these groups are great at the plate, with Toronto getting the edge.
On the mound, each team is starting a strong pitcher, with the Blue Jays getting the edge as well. Since they have the edge at the plate and on the mound, we'll take the Blue Jays at -116.
Although it's a tough call, the Blue Jays are the better pick to win this game. They're 7-2 in their last nine games against the Red Sox and 5-1 in their last six games.
We'll also take the under in this game, considering who the Blue Jays are playing. The total has gone under in seven of Toronto's last eight games when playing on the road against Boston.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -116, UNDER
Prop Picks
Boston (+120) UNDER 3.5 Runs
Toronto is allowing 4.40 runs per 9 innings on defense, which ranks No. 18 in the league. That average drops to 4.14 runs per 9 innings on the road. Scores have gone UNDER in five of the Blue Jays’ last seven road games.
With Dunkel predicting a Toronto victory by the score of 4-2, take the Red Sox (+120) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 3.5 runs against the Blue Jays.
Toronto (+105) Most Hits
Toronto is averaging 8.92 hits per 9 innings, which ranks No. 3 in the league. Toronto is allowing an average of 8.39 hits per 9 innings, which ranks No. 21 in the league. That average drops to 8.02 hits per 9 innings on the road.
With Dunkel predicting a Toronto road win while keeping Boston UNDER its Vegas run total, take the Blue Jays (+105) to finish with more hits than the Red Sox.
Kevin Gausman (-155) OVER 5.5 Strikeouts
Gausman has recorded 106 strikeouts in 94.0 innings pitched this season for an average of 10.1 Ks per 9 innings. The Toronto right hander has recorded 27 strikeouts in 21.0 innings pitched (11.57 average per 9 innings) in three starts versus Boston.
With Dunkel predicting a Toronto victory while keeping the Red Sox UNDER their team run total, take Gausman (-155) to finish OVER 5.5 strikeouts against Boston.
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