There’s not a lot of love being shown for the Toronto Blue Jays among oddsmakers when you look at the current betting futures with a few of the major sportsbooks.
In terms of odds to win the American League East this season, BetMGM currently has the Jays at +750, the longest odds, except for the Boston Red Sox, who are at +1800.
The New York Yankees are currently the betting favourites there, at -125, followed by the Baltimore Orioles at +275, and the Tampa Bay Rays, at +700.
The Jays are generating just 11.9% of tickets (raw number of bets), and 7.5% of total handle (total amount of money wagered by bettors over a given period).
The Blue Jays are currently at 10-9, three games out of first place (the Yankees hold that spot, at 13-6).
A quick look at MLB team stats will give you a reason for the long odds – the Jays as a team are hitting .233, 20th in MLB, 12th in OBP (.325), but 19th in OPS (.688), and 21st in hits (143).
As we’ve mentioned, the key cogs in their hitting lineup the Jays pinned their hopes on coming into the season – George Springer, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette – have had so-so starts to the season.
Justin Turner, with a .333 batting average (.424 OBP, .519 SLG, 9 RBIs), and maybe Daulton Varsho, with 4 HRs, 8 RBIs, and a .218 batting average, have been the positives on the offence side. Unless you want to slide Cavan Biggio, with his .292 batting average, in there as well.
Bettors still like Guerrero Jr. for Al MVP, though – he is seeing the highest ticket percentage at BetMGM (13.0%) and the highest handle percentage (11.1%) as well. Guerrero Jr.’s odds to win MVP are +1200.
Maybe bettors are seeing something with the Jays that we don’t see – Kevin Gausman is seeing the most betting action for AL Cy Young as well (12.3% of tickets, 12.9% of handle), in a season where early on anyway he his spring training shortened due to shoulder issues, leading to a slower start to this season. Gausman’s odds to win the AL Cy Young are currently +1600 at BetMGM.
For the “punters” looking at putting some money down for the Jays series in San Diego, against the Padres, which gets going tonight – the Jays are -1.5 (+155) on the spread (the Padres +1.5, -189), with the Jays -105 on the moneyline, the Padres -115, at BetMGM.
The Jays have Cuban free agent signee Yariel Rodriguez (0-0, 2.45 ERA) on the mound tonight, coming off an impressive 3.2-inning debut against the Colorado Rockies where he threw six strikeouts. The Padres are countering with Matt Waldron (0-1, 3.14 ERA). Game time is 9:40 p.m. EST.
