The Boston Red Sox now lead the Toronto Blue Jays by just a half-game in the American League East after the Jays took the opener of this three-game series in convincing fashion.
Game 2 should be a more tightly contested matchup — but not because of the pitching. These are two of the most dangerous lineups in the MLB and will be matching up against Garret Richards and Ross Stripling.
Check out our MLB free picks and predictions for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays on Wednesday, May 19, with first pitch scheduled for 7:37 p.m. ET.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays game info
• Location: TD Ballpark, Dunedin, FL
• Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
• Time: 7:37 p.m. ET
• TV: SN1, NESN+
Red Sox vs Blue Jays odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonToronto landed on TwinSpires' odds board as a -118 favorite and is up to -130 at 4:15 p.m. ET. It's two-way moneyline action, with the Red Sox getting 55 percent of tickets and the Blue Jays seeing 59 percent of cash. The total is down a full run to 9.5, with 62 percent of tickets on the Over, but 77 percent of money on the Under. "We've seen some respected money come in on the Under," TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said.
Check out the full line movement for this gameRed Sox vs Blue Jays betting preview
Starting pitchers
Garrett Richards (3-2, 3.89 ERA): After a tough start to the season, Richards has been one of the Red Sox's most reliable starters over the last month. The right-hander has pitched to a 2.16 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP over his last four starts... but the last team to rough Richards up? The Blue Jays.
Ross Stripling (0-2, 5.91 ERA): It looked like Stripling’s days in the Blue Jays’ rotation were numbered (and they may still be) but then he went out and limited the Braves to two runs on four hits while striking out nine in five innings. That said, the right-hander still has a WHIP of 1.69, which won’t play well against a strong Red Sox lineup.
Weather
It should be a beautiful night for baseball at the Jays home-away-from-home in Dunedin, Florida. The forecast is calling for mostly clear skies with temperatures in the low-80s. There will also be around 14 mph blowing East, with wind gusts up to 18 mph. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Red Sox: Matt Carasiti RP (Questionable), Zac Grotz RP (Questionable), Ryan Brasier RP (Out).
Blue Jays: Cavan Biggio UTIL (Questionable), George Springer CF (Out), Ryan Borucki RP (Out), Julian Merryweather RP (Out), Alejandro Kirk C (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 8-3 in Blue Jays' last 11 games when facing off against a right-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays.
Moneyline pick
Game 1 of this series saw mostly solid performances from the southpaw starters before the Jays pulled away midway through the game. Game 2 might be tightly contested as well, but for much different reasons.
This is a matchup of two of the most potent offenses in the American League. The Red Sox lead the majors in OPS, are second in average, and fourth in scoring. The Blue Jays, who have now won six of their last seven games, rank third in OPS and fourth in batting average over their last 13 games. Both will have a chance to succeed in this game.
While Richards has been solid over his last four starts, the last team to touch him up was, of course, the Blue Jays. The right-hander allowed four runs on four hits and six hits in 4 2-3 innings back on April 21.
On the other side is Stripling, who is coming off his best start of the season but overall, his resume of work has been subpar. The right-hander is finding too much of the plate with his fastball and opponents are hitting .311 off him this season.
Both lineups should have success in this one but in general, Stripling has been significantly worse this season than Richards. So, the value is with the underdog in this one.
PREDICTION: Red Sox (+105)
Over/Under pick
The total for this matchup is unsurprisingly a high 10.5 with these two slugging teams going head-to-head.
The Red Sox average 5.26 runs per game this season and go against Stripling, who has allowed at least two runs in each start and doesn’t pitch deep into games — putting a lot of pressure on a good, but overworked, Blue Jays bullpen.
While Richards is pitching well, this Blue Jays lineup is the toughest he has gone up against all season. They also rank seventh in batting average and eighth in OPS against right-handers and are plating more than six runs per game over their last 10 contests.
Be prepared for fireworks as these sluggers go blow-for-blow and send this game Over this high number.
PREDICTION: Over 10.5 (-110)
Red Sox vs Blue Jays betting card
- Red Sox ML (+105)
- Over 10.5 (-110)
Picks made on 5/18/2021 at 10:44 p.m. ET
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