Leading up to game four of this American League battle, the Blue Jays (80-66, 38-33 home) will send Kevin Gausman to the mound to take on the Rangers (81-64, 36-34 away) and Nathan Eovaldi. Find out who I like to come out on top in this Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays matchup in Toronto.

TEXAS RANGERS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +139

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 7:07 ET on Thursday, September 14th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • The Rangers will be taking on a Blue Jays club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • Texas has the leg up over the Blue Jays so far this year at 5-1.
  • In Nathan Eovaldi’s five most recent starts, the Rangers are 2-1.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

The Rangers will be looking for their 6th straight win in today’s game and have an overall record of 81-64. At home, Texas has put together a record of 45-30 while going 36-34 on the road. Currently, they are in 2nd place in the AL West.

Nathan Eovaldi has been impressive in his 21 outings this season, boasting an 11-4 record with a 2.90 ERA and 115 strikeouts. His WHIP stands at 1.07, while his slugging percentage allowed is .353. On the road, Eovaldi has been especially dominant, going 6-1 with a 3.03 ERA; however, he has struggled somewhat at home with a 5-3 record and 5.09 ERA. He averages 8.13 strikeouts per nine innings for the season so far.

Nathan Eovaldi had a brief performance in the Rangers’ 3-2 victory over the Athletics, tossing 2 1/3 innings and allowing no runs on three hits. Despite not earning a decision, Eovaldi’s outing was an important factor in the team’s success.

For the season, the Rangers’ offense is averaging 5.5 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 1st in the league in scoring, with a total of 38 runs. Overall, Texas’ team batting average is .267, putting them 2nd in the MLB.

Marcus Semien has been a key contributor to the Texas offense this season, boasting a .278 batting average and .468 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, he has been on fire, leading the Rangers in hits and hitting an impressive .350.

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

Toronto heads into today’s game ranked 3rd in the AL East on an overall record of 80-66. The Blue Jays have won two straight series at home and have an overall home record of 38-33. Against the runline, their overall record is 66-80, including going 30-41 vs. the runline at home. When looking at their over/under mark, the Blue Jays are 63-78.

Kevin Gausman has made 29 appearances this season, boasting an 11-8 record and a 3.28 ERA. His opponents have hit .228 off him, while on the road he is 6-5 with a 4.40 ERA and 5-3 at home with a 3.49 ERA. Teams have managed to slug .368 against Gausman this season.

Kevin Gausman recently earned a quality start and a win for his team, as they defeated the Royals 5-1. He allowed one run and two hits in eight innings of work.

During their last five games, Toronto is the 22nd ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .211 and are averaging 3.4 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Blue Jays are hitting .259 with an OBP of .331 while averaging 4.6 runs per contest. This figure puts them 16th in the league.

The Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette has been the team’s standout offensive performer this season, boasting a .306 batting average, .474 slugging percentage, and .336 on-base percentage. He leads the club in hits.