Chris Bassitt will get the start for the Blue Jays (70-58, 32-27 home) as they host the Guardians (60-68, 27-35 away) at Rogers Centre. The Guardians will give the starting nod to Tanner Bibee. Check out my prediction for game one of this American League matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -158

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 7:07 ET on Friday, August 25th.

WHY BET THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

  • The Guardians are just 3-7 in their last ten road games.
  • Toronto is on a five game winning streak when the underdog.
  • Opponents are hitting just .197 against Chris Bassitt in his last five starts.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

For the season, the Guardians have put together a record of 60-68 and are 2nd in the AL Central, putting them six games out of first place. Cleveland’s overall series record sits at 16-20-4. On the road, they have gone 27-35 and 33-33 at home.

Tanner Bibee has been a major contributor to the Guardians’ success this season, boasting an impressive 9-3 record in 20 appearances. His ERA of 3.01 is complemented by a K/9 of 8.87, while his FIP and OBP stand at 3.64 and .290 respectively.

Tanner Bibee’s latest start resulted in a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander allowed three earned runs and five hits over five innings of work.

During their last five games, Cleveland is the 21st ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .224 and are averaging 3.2 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Guardians are hitting .249 with an OBP of .311 while averaging 4 runs per contest. This figure puts them 26th in the league.

José Ramírez has been a major contributor to the Guardians’ offense in 2023. His .278 batting average and 19 home runs have been key to driving in 68 runs this season.

WILL THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

This season, the Blue Jays have an overall series record of 23-15-2 and are currently 3rd in the AL East. Toronto’s overall record is 70-58, which includes their current two game losing streak. On the road, the Blue Jays are 38-31 and 32-27 at home.

Toronto’s Chris Bassitt has been impressive in 2023, boasting an overall record of 12-6 and ERA of 3.92. On the road, Bassitt has posted a 6.89 ERA, while his home ERA is a much more impressive 3.12. His season-long WHIP stands at 1.21, and opposing teams have managed to put together a slugging percentage of .404 against him with a batting average allowed of .231.

The Blue Jays earned a victory in Chris Bassitt’s last start, defeating the Reds 4-3. The right-hander tossed six innings of work, giving up three hits and two earned runs while earning his fifth win of the season.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Blue Jays are 3rd in that span. At 4.4 runs per game, Toronto is 15th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .257 while hitting a total of 148 home runs (15th).

Daulton Varsho has been a key contributor to the Blue Jays’ offense this season, boasting a .222 batting average and .386 slugging percentage. Over the past ten games, he has been Toronto’s most productive hitter, batting .310 with a team-leading number of hits.