It’s an AL East matchup tonight at Tropicana Field, as the Rays host the Blue Jays. First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET, and you can catch the game on MLBN. The Rays are favored in this one, with a money line of -133 compared to the Blue Jays at +113.

On the mound for the Blue Jays is José Berríos, while the Rays will counter with Zach Eflin. The over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, with the over paying out at -117 compared to the under at -105.

TAMPA BAY RAYS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline -133

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 4:10 ET on Thursday, March 28th.

HOW TO BET THE BLUE JAYS VS RAYS:

  • We have the Rays winning by a score of 5 to 4
  • However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Blue Jays to cover
  • As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over

Blue Jays Records & Stats

Despite finishing with a record of 89-73, the Blue Jays were unable to advance in the playoffs, losing to the Twins in the Wild Card round. In the American League, Toronto finished in 5th place and 3rd in the AL-East.

When playing at home, the Blue Jays went 43-38 last season, compared to their 46-35 record on the road. As the underdog, Toronto went 23-19, and their overall series record was 30-19-2.

Toronto had an average run margin of +0.5 runs per game last season, finishing with a run line record of 74-88. They were the favorite in 74.1% of their games, going 46-74 vs. the run line. In games they covered the run line, their average scoring margin was +4 runs per game compared to -2.5 runs per game in games they didn’t cover the run line. On the road, they had a run line record of 41-40.

Last season, the Blue Jays had an over/under record of 71-84, and their games averaged a combined 8.7 runs per contest. In games with an over/under line of 7.5, the over/under record was 8-6. Overall, 54.3% of their games finished with more runs than 7.5.

Coming off a season in which he made 32 starts, José Berríos is set to face the Rays in his first start of the year. Last season, Berríos went 11-12 with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.19. In his two appearances against the Rays last season, Berríos went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.44. Overall, Berríos allowed 25 home runs last season and averaged 8.73 strikeouts per nine innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season was 3.5.

The Blue Jays’ offense was a bit more productive on the road last season, averaging 5.0 runs per game compared to 4.2 runs per game at home. Overall, they were 14th in the league, averaging 4.6 runs per game. In terms of strikeouts, they were the 7th toughest team to strike out, and they were 9th in walks. For the season, they hit .256 as a team, which was 7th best in the league.

Bo Bichette is the top returning hitter for the Blue Jays after hitting .306 last season. He also drove in 73 runs and hit 20 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit 26 home runs last season and drove in 94 runs. George Springer hit 21 home runs and drove in 72 runs last season. Justin Turner was added to the team in the off-season after hitting .276 and driving in 96 runs for the Red Sox last season.

Rays Records & Stats

The Rays are coming off a season in which they went 99-63, which was good for 2nd place in the American League and the AL East. In the playoffs, they lost in the Wild Card round to the Rangers (2-0).

At home, Tampa Bay went 53-28 last season, while going 46-35 on the road. In night games, the Rays were 56-36, compared to 43-27 in day games.

As the favorite, Tampa Bay went 86-45 last season, while going 13-18 as the underdog. At home, the Rays were 50-26 as the favorite and 3-2 as the home underdog.

Tampa Bay was the favorite in 80.9% of their games last season, going 66-65 vs. the run line in those contests. Overall, they finished with a run line record of 86-76, including a 41-40 mark at home and 45-36 on the road. Their average scoring margin for the season was +1.2 runs per game. In games they covered the run line, their average scoring margin was +4.3 runs per game compared to -2.3 runs per game in games they did not cover.

Last season, Tampa Bay’s games had an average over/under line of 8.3 runs, and their O/U record for the season was 89-69. In games with an O/U line of 7.5, the over/under record was 19-10. Overall, 63.6% of their games finished with more runs than 7.5, and their games averaged a combined 9.4 runs per game. Today’s line is set at 7.5 runs.

Zach Eflin is coming off a season in which he made 31 starts and went 16-8. His ERA for the season was 3.50, and he had a WHIP of 1.02. Eflin’s batting average allowed was .233, and his on-base percentage allowed was .259. He gave up a total of 19 home runs. For the season, Eflin had 17 quality starts and averaged 9.42 strikeouts per nine innings. His walks per nine innings was 1.22, and his walks per game was 0.8.

The Rays’ offense was one of the best in the league last season, finishing 4th in runs per game (5.3) and 4th in batting average (.260). They were also one of the best teams at getting on base, ranking 4th in on-base percentage (.331). On the road, they were 5th in runs per game (5.4) and 4th in road slugging percentage (.433).

Isaac Paredes is the top returning home run hitter for the Rays after hitting 31 home runs last season. He finished the year with a slugging percentage of .488 and batted .250. Jose Siri hit 25 home runs and batted .222 last season. Yandy Diaz led the team in hits last season with 22 and batted .330. Amed Rosario is a new addition to the team after batting .263 and hitting 6 home runs for the Dodgers last season.