The Toronto Blue Jays will kick off a six-game road trip on the West Coast on Friday when they visit the Los Angeles Angels.
Toronto is coming off a 3-3 homestand, which saw it drop two of three games to the Cleveland Guardians this past weekend, while the Angels have just one win in their last nine games.
This will be the first meeting of the season between these two teams.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Tuesday’s series opener between the Blue Jays and Angels, courtesy of bet365.
Blue Jays vs. Angels odds
Blue Jays moneyline odds | -110 |
Angels moneyline odds | -110 |
Runline odds | Blue Jays -1.5 (+150), Angels +1.5 (-180) |
Game total | Over 9 runs (-110), Under 9 (-110) |
Date/Time | May 6, 9:38 p.m. ET |
About the Blue Jays (16-18 SU, 21-13 ATS, 14-20 o/u)
To win in modern baseball, you have to hit home runs, and that’s something the Blue Jays have struggled with through 34 games, bashing an MLB-low 23. Anthony Santander and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lead the team with four homers apiece, but both sluggers struggled to leave the yard early on before showing some power recently. Toronto also played several cold-weather games on the road in April, so perhaps a trip to the warmer climates out west will inspire a few more balls to leave the park. However, forecasts aren’t projecting typical temperatures in California for this time of year on Tuesday (more on that below).
Coming off a horrendous 2024 campaign, Toronto’s bullpen has also looked shaky again recently, particularly at the back end. The team’s high-leverage relievers have converted just 10 of their 16 save opportunities, while the unit has seen its ERA balloon to 3.91 to rank in the middle of the league after an encouraging start to the season. That can likely be attributed to their heavy workload, so hopefully yesterday’s off day did some wonders.
About the Angels (13-20 SU, 12-21 ATS, 17-15-1 o/u)
Much like the Blue Jays, the Angels are also struggling at the plate. Their total of 232 hits is the lowest in the majors, while the team’s .214 batting average ranks as the lowest in the American League. However, when they do make contact, the ball usually leaves the park, as their 44 homers rank seventh in baseball.
Superstar Mike Trout is slashing just .179/.264/.462 through 29 games, but his nine home runs lead the team alongside catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who is one of the few Angels off to a hot start with his team-leading .276 batting average.
The Angels are also a total disaster from a pitching perspective, as their relievers own a combined 7.02 ERA, the worst mark in the majors. Overall, the pitching staff has coughed up 50 homers, the second-most mark in baseball, while allowing the opposition to hit a lofty .273 against them.
Probable starting pitchers
Toronto: RHP José Ureña (0-0, 15.00 ERA, 9.00 K/9)
The team signed Ureña to a contract earlier this week to add some depth to the starting pitching corps.
The righty made one appearance for the New York Mets this season, allowing seven hits and five earned runs in a lopsided win over the Washington Nationals on April 28. Bettors shouldn’t expect more than three innings from Urena, especially considering the Blue Jays were off on Monday, giving the bullpen a breather.
Los Angeles: LHP Tyler Anderson (2-0, 2.67 ERA, 7.22 K/9)
Anderson is off to a terrific start, holding the opposition to three earned runs or less in each of his six starts to open the season. The 35-year-old has a deceptive delivery and uses six different pitches to confuse hitters and features some interesting reverse splits, as he’s more effective against right-handed batters (.135 batting average) than hitters standing on left-handed batters (.320 batting average) despite being a southpaw. Anderson’s fastball averages just 89 mph, but he does a good job of avoiding hard contact (30.5% hard-hit rate).
Notable injuries
Infielders Anthony Rendon (hip) and Yoan Moncada (thumb), and outfielder Trout (knee) are on the injured list for the Angels.
As for the Blue Jays, pitchers Ryan Burr (shoulder), Erik Swanson (forearm), Nick Sandlin (lat), and Max Scherzer (thumb) are all on the injured list. Outfielder Daulton Varsho (back) will be a game-time decision.
Weather
Forecasts are calling for evening temperatures around 16 C under cloudy skies. Winds will blow out to centre field lightly at 7 mph.
Blue Jays vs. Angels betting trends
- The Blue Jays are 9-1 in the past 10 meetings with the Angels.
- The under is 7-3 in the past 10 meetings.
- The over is 5-1 in the Angels’ last six games.
- The Blue Jays are one of the best teams in the league on the runline this year (21-13), while the Angels are one of the worst (12-21).
Blue Jays vs. Angels player prop trends
- Anderson has beaten his strikeouts line of 3.5 in five of his six starts this season, averaging 4.5 per game during that span. He’s -105 to beat that number again Tuesday.
- Guerrero Jr. has hit safely in seven straight games and is -265 to extend that streak.
- Santander has walked at least once in three straight games and in 15 of his 33 (45% hit rate) this season. He’s around +150 to draw at least one walk.
Blue Jays vs. Angels best bet
- Guerrero Jr. over 1.5 total bases: +113 for one unit (best odds @ Pinnacle). As previously mentioned, Guerrero Jr. is riding a seven-game hitting streak into action, and he slashed .429/.467/1.000 in 14 at-bats at Angel Stadium last season. He’s also hit Anderson very well, posting a .545/.583/.727 slash line with a 1.311 OPS in 11 career at-bats against the southpaw. Two of his six hits off Anderson have been for extra bases.