Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox Betting Preview/Prop Picks
23 August 2022
Time: 7:10 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 13.673; Boston 17.577
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 4; 12
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-160); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+136); Over
We’ve got an AL East battle sure to be entertaining as the Blue Jays face the Red Sox. The Toronto Blue Jays, with a record of 65-55, are coming off a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees.
Currently, the Blue Jays rank third in the division, just a few games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. A win here means getting one step closer to taking the division from the 75-48 Yankees.
The Boston Red Sox are fourth in the AL East with a record of 60-62. Although they’re under .500 at the moment, the Red Sox are not a team to take lightly.
They’re coming off of a tough series against the Orioles, but they have what it takes to win. They’re a great batting team and have a few solid pitchers in their lineup. So, who should you take in this AL East showdown?
Toronto Blue Jays: Ross Stripling takes the mound for Toronto
Known for a strong bullpen, the Toronto Blue Jays will start Ross Stripling tonight. Stripling has gone 5-3 this season with an impressive ERA of 2.93.
Over the course of 89 innings, he’s thrown 74 strikeouts and allowed just six home runs. Out of all their pitchers, he’s the most equipped to face Boston’s batters. He’ll still need some help from his own lineup, though.
The Toronto Blue Jays have a lineup full of great hitters. One of these batters is Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has a .281 average and leads the team in home runs. With 26 home runs and 75 RBIs, Guerrero Jr. is the best batter in their lineup.
Overall, the Blue Jays are batting .262, the second-best team average in the league. They also have an on-base percentage of .324.
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox bullpen will be tested tonight
As we mentioned above, the Red Sox are a very strong baseball team. They’ve put together wins that have impressed us the entire season. The only problem we see the Red Sox having tonight is on the mound.
Getting the start tonight is Josh Winckowski, who has a 5-6 record. His record isn’t very concerning, but his ERA of 5.19 over the course of 60.2 innings is.
Considering that Toronto has some incredible batters, the Red Sox’s bullpen is in hot water. The good news is they have a good group of batters to help them out.
This season, Xander Bogaerts has put up a .299 batting average while Rafael Devers leads in home runs. Devers has hit 25 home runs this season and has an impressive .295 batting average.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox Betting Pick
The Boston Red Sox comes into this game as +136 underdogs. The Blue Jays, however, are -160.
Both of these teams are pretty similar, but the Red Sox are playing at home. Although the Blue Jays clearly have the better pitcher, the Red Sox have an edge at the plate.
This is going to be a close game, but we’ll take the Red Sox at +136. We’re also going to take the over, considering each of these teams is top-ten in runs. Look for the Red Sox to get a fast start and then hold off the Blue Jays.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: Boston Red Sox +136, OVER
Prop Picks
Boston (+110) OVER 4.5 Runs
Boston is averaging 4.49 runs per 9 innings on offense, which ranks No. 12 in the league. That average increases to 4.53 runs per 9 innings at home. Scores have gone OVER in four of the Red Sox’ last five games versus the Blue Jays.
With Dunkel predicting a Boston victory by the score of 8-4, take the Red Sox (+110) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 4.5 runs against Toronto.
George Springer (-140) OVER 0.5 Runs Scored
Springer has scored 64 runs in 94 games played this season, which ranks No. 3 on the Blue Jays. The center fielder has scored 7 runs in 46 at-bats with an OPS of .877 versus the Red Sox, which is tied for the most runs he has scored against a team.
With Dunkel predicting the final score finishing OVER the Vegas total, take the Springer (-140) to finish OVER 0.5 runs scored against the Red Sox.
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