Toronto vs Boston MLB Betting Preview
After a solid first half where the Blue Jays were in the AL East race they have sputtered and they are now in the basement of the division and have lost 7 of their last 10 games.
Venue/ Stadium: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Time/Date: 7:10 PM EST Monday, July 20, 2012
MLB Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: Blue Jays +160 / Red Sox -180
Over/Under: 9.5 runs
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Aaron Laffey (1-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Josh Beckett (5-7, 4.44 ERA)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox Preview
However, they are only 3.5 games out of the Wild Card spot while the Red Sox, who have won 2 straight, are only 1 game out of the Wild Card race. MLB lines have the Red Sox as the home favorite with a run total of 9.5.
In their last games the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 while the Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 6-0.
This season the Blue Jays have an O/U record of 44-43 and a run-line W/L record of 49-43 and the Red Sox have an O/U record of 48-42 and a run-line W/L record of 45-48.
The Red Sox are 25-25 at home and the Blue Jays are 20-27 on the road.
The Red Sox have won 8 of their last 11 games facing the Blue Jays in Boston. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Aaron Laffey (1-1, 3.38 ERA) goes for the Blue Jays tonight and in his last outing here gave up 4 earned runs in 5 innings in a win. Josh Beckett (5-7, 4.44 ERA) gets the nod for the Red Sox and he gave up 3 earned runs in 6 innings in a win in his last outing.
Before his last win Beckett had struggled going 0-3 in his previous 6 starts and he went 1-0 last season in 2 starts against Toronto.
Laffey is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two career starts at Fenway,
The Blue Jays offense suffered a big blow lately, as slugger Jose Bautista, who ranks 2nd in the AL in HR and 5th in RBI, is out until the beginning of August with a wrist injury.
The Red Sox pitching has struggled this season, but they have a solid offense that ranks 1st in the Majors in runs scored and 3rd in team batting average.
Laffey will have to worry about a red-hot Adrian Gonzalez, who is hitting 430 with 19 RBIs in his last 21 games and is hitting over .350 with 6 HR and 26 RBI in his last 23 games facing the Blue Jays.
In some betting trends for this AL East match up the Blue Jays are 3-7 in their last 10 games, 1-7 in their last 8 road games, and they have an Under record of 4-0 in their last 4 games.
The Red Sox are 4-1 in their last 5 games, 1-5 in Beckett’s last 6 starts, and they have an Under record of 3-1-1 in their last 5 games as a favorite.
Jason’s Pick: I think Beckett will have another good outing and the Red Sox offense will continue to play well and Boston will win Game 1 of this series.
