The Toronto Blue Jays continue their hunt for a Wild Card as they look to pick up their second straight win over the Oakland Athletics tonight. The Jays have won four of their last five but sit half a game back of the Rangers for the third and final AL Wild Card entering play.
Toronto will try to pounce on an Oakland team that owns the worst record in the majors with A’s starter Ken Waldichuk presenting an easy target for the Jays' bats.
Keep reading for our Blue Jays vs. Athletics MLB picks and predictions for Tuesday, September 5.
Blue Jays vs A's odds
Blue Jays vs A's predictions
It took extra innings but the Blue Jays eked out a 6-5 win over the Athletics in the series opener on Monday thanks to a three-run 10th led by pinch-hitter Santiago Espinal.
Toronto continues to be without several key players as Brandon Belt missed Monday’s game due to the stomach flu while Danny Jansen (finger), Matt Chapman (finger), and Bo Bichette (quad) all remain on the IL.
Even with all the injuries, the Jays should have enough firepower to get to Ken Waldichuk, who owns a bloated 5.92 ERA this season. Toronto has averaged 8.00 runs per game over its last five contests, scoring at least seven in four, while being led by some unheralded names.
Alejandro Kirk has taken over catcher duties with Jansen out and leads the team with six RBI over his last six games, while rookie Davis Schneider is one of three players with five RBI for the Blue Jays this past week.
Waldichuk showed some improvement in August, holding opponents to two earned runs or fewer in four of six starts, but was still susceptible to the occasional meltdown. The southpaw gave up three homers and five earned runs to the White Sox just two starts ago while also getting rocked for four runs in just 3 2/3 innings vs. the Dodgers on August 1.
Assuming the Blue Jays bats show up again and pounce on Waldichuk, we should see these clubs cash the Over on 8 runs pretty easily.
My best bet: Over 8 (-114 at SIA)
Blue Jays vs A's same-game parlay
Over 8.5
Blue Jays moneyline
Davis Schneider 2+ total bases
If we’re going to see these teams cash the Over on 8.5 runs tonight, we’re likely also going to see a Jays win as Toronto’s bats will have to do most of the heavy lifting. The A’s own the worst offensive in the majors this season, averaging just 3.69 runs per game — another reason to like the Blue Jays on the moneyline.
We’ll close out the same-game parlay by rolling with Schneider to record another multi-base game. The rookie went hitless in just one at-bat on Monday but had recorded three straight multi-base performances prior to this series. He’s also posted two-plus bases in seven of his last 10 outings.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Blue Jays vs A's moneyline and Over/Under analysis
Toronto opened as the road favorite at -182 on the moneyline and I think there’s lots to like about the Jays in this one.
For starters, they’ve got the advantage on the mound as Chris Bassitt faces off against Waldichuk. Bassitt pitched one of his best games of the season last time out, holding the Nationals off the scoreboard through eight innings. He’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last nine ballgames and should be able to keep things under control against the worst offense in the majors.
The Jays have also taken three of four meetings from the A’s this season, outscoring them 29-14 in the process.
Tonight’s total opened at 8.5 runs and dipped to 8 at most books by Tuesday morning. As mentioned, I like the Over in this one given how hot Toronto’s bats have been, coupled with Waldichuk taking the mound for Oakland.
The Blue Jays have scored at least six runs in each of their last five games while cashing the Over in eight of their last nine contests. Meanwhile, the Athletics have hit the Over four times in their last five outings.
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Trend to know
The Over is 8-2 in Oakland’s last 10 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. A's
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Blue Jays vs A's game info
| Location: | Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA |
| Date: | Tuesday, September 5, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 9:40 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet, NBC Sports California |
Starting pitchers
Chris Bassitt (13-7, 3.81 ERA): Bassitt was sensational last time out against the Nationals, pitching through the eighth inning for the third time this season while posting his fourth shutout performance of at least seven innings. The right-hander did have a couple of rough outings in August, though, allowing four runs in two of his five starts.
Ken Waldichuk (2-7, 5.92 ERA): While Waldichuk held the Mariners to just one run in his last start, it wasn’t easy as it took him 91 pitches to get through four innings. The left-hander has been converted to a full-time starter since the beginning of August, which was statistically his best month of the season.
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