The Houston Astros (42-41) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (38-45) on Monday, July 1st. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on SNET. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Yankees. First pitch is set for 2:07 CT.
Astros vs Blue Jays
Houston closed out their series vs. the Mets with an impressive 10-5 win. Heading into the game, the Astros were the slight favorite at +107 on the money line. It was a five-run 11th inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Mets could only score one run in the bottom of the 11th to pick up the win. Houston’s offense also scored a run in the 2nd inning and added another two runs in the 4th.
Shawn Dubin got the start for the Astros but only lasted 3 1/3 innings. He didn’t give up a run, but the Mets also didn’t have a hit off him. Jon Singleton was hot at the plate, going 3/4 with a homer and a run scored. The Astros also had three other players with three hits.
Houston is 42-41 overall and is 3.5 games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. The Astros will be on the road today, taking on the Blue Jays, and they have won two straight games. The Astros closed out their series vs. the Mets with a win and are 9-1 in their last 10 games.
As the favorite, the Astros are 31-32 this year and 11-9 as the underdog. They have really been playing well at home, going 24-19 compared to 18-22 on the road. Houston’s overall series record is 15-11-1, and they have won two straight series on the road.
When the Astros are on the road, they have a run line record of 18-22, but they have covered the run line in two straight games. As the favorite, they are 28-35 against the run line, but as the underdog, they are 12-8. Their average run differential in games they have won is +4.0, and in games they have lost, it is -3.3.
The Astros are on the road against the Blue Jays with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. Houston’s games have averaged 9.0 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 31-48. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-13. The over has hit in three straight games for the Astros.
Hunter Brown Gets The Start For The Astros
Hunter Brown has been pitching well for the Astros, as he has won his last four starts. Most recently, he faced the Rockies and didn’t give up a run in six innings of work. Looking at his overall numbers, Brown has made 15 starts, eight of which were quality starts. His record for the season is 5-5, and his ERA is 4.37. Opponents are batting .241 off Brown this year, and his WHIP is 1.37. For the season, he has allowed 12 home runs and is averaging 9.97 strikeouts per nine innings.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are the top-hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .265. They are also near the top of the league in both slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Houston has been even better at home this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are 7th in the league in scoring at 4.7 runs per contest.
Yordan Alvarez is currently 10th in the league with 16 home runs and is batting .294 for the season. Alvarez’s 41 RBIs are the most on the team, and he is currently on a nine-game hitting streak. Kyle Tucker has also been a big power threat in the lineup, as he is 7th in the league with 19 homers.
The Blue Jays will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Yankees with an 8-1 loss. Toronto was actually the slight favorite at home going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Yankees scored two runs in the 1st and added another two in the 2nd. New York’s offense scored their eighth run in the top of the 6th to put things out of reach. The Blue Jays started Kevin Gausman, and he took the loss, going just 4 1/3 innings, and giving up seven earned runs on seven hits.
Toronto’s offense scored their only run in the 3rd inning. After the Blue Jays cut the lead to 1-0, the Yankees scored three runs in the top of the 3rd to put things out of reach. Overall, the Blue Jays only had four hits and struck out 10 times.
Toronto is 38-45 overall and trails the Orioles by 14.5 games in the AL East. The Blue Jays are 5th in the division and have gone 12-16 against other AL East teams. Today, they host the Astros with an overall series record of 9-12-6.
At home, the Blue Jays are 20-21 this season compared to an 18-24 mark on the road. As the favorite, Toronto is 29-20 and 9-25 as the underdog this year. They have dropped seven of their last ten games, and they split their most recent series with the Yankees.
When the Blue Jays win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.4 runs per game. However, when they lose, they lose by an average of 4 runs per game. They have a run line record of 39-44 on the season, with a run line record of 15-26 at home. As the underdog, they are 16-18 against the run line, and as the favorite, they are 23-26.
The Blue Jays are at home today against the Astros, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Toronto’s games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 39-41. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 11-15. The over has hit in seven straight Blue Jays games.
Yariel Rodríguez Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Right-hander Yariel Rodríguez gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Astros at home. He has made five starts this year and has a record of 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA. Opponents are batting .292 off Rodríguez this year, and his WHIP is 1.92. The last time he pitched, Rodríguez took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. In his 5 2/3 innings of work before that outing, he had given up a total of three earned runs. So far, he has allowed a home run in three of his five starts.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Over the past nine games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire for the Blue Jays, going 17/39 with six homers and 20 RBIs. For the season, he is batting .297 with a team-high 13 homers and 50 RBIs. Daulton Varsho is second on the team in RBIs but is batting just .199 this season.
As a team, the Blue Jays are 23rd in the MLB in runs scored, averaging 4 runs per game. This is also where they are at in terms of home runs, as they are just 19th in the league. Toronto is batting a collective .236, which is 15th in the league. So far, they have been good at avoiding strikeouts and are 7th in the league in walks.
Astros vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our prediction for this Astros vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line, with a payout of +128. We have the Blue Jays winning this one by a score of 6-5, and with the payout, there is a lot of value in taking them to win outright.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Yariel Rodríguez is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is good for third among starters. As for Hunter Brown, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is fourth among starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:July 1, 2024 Astros, Blue Jays