Cleveland Guardians vs
Toronto Blue JaysPredictions & Preview

Blue Jays Favored to Win Against Guardians in AL Matchup with Chris Bassitt on the Mound

The Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin their three game series on Friday in an American League matchup. Cleveland will have Logan Allen on the mound with a 4.21 ERA, while Toronto will start Chris Bassitt who has a 2.62 ERA. The Blue Jays are favored to win with a betting line of Toronto -139. The game is scheduled to start at 7:07 EST.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Guardians +122 | Blue Jays -139
• Spread: Guardians +1.5 (-175) | Blue Jays -1.5 (+145)
• Total: Over/Under 8.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Toronto will win straight-up is 58%.

Cleveland vs Toronto Stats

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are currently in pursuit of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central standings, just 1.5 games behind the division leaders. Despite losing key home run hitter Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks, Bo Naylor stepped up with a three run home run in a recent game against the Twins. Steven Kwan has been a standout batter for the Guardians, leading the team in hits with a .322 average. Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo have also contributed significantly in the home run department. Logan Allen, with a 1-2 record and 4.21 ERA, will be making his sixth start for the Guardians. The team is currently ranked 23rd in offense and defense, scoring an average of 3.79 runs per game and allowing 4.72 runs per game. Despite these rankings, the Guardians maintain a record of 17-13 for the season.

Toronto Blue Jays Analysis

The Toronto Blue Jays recently faced the top two teams in the AL East, the Yankees and Red Sox, in consecutive series. They lost two of three to the Yankees and split their first two games against Boston, with a final game scheduled for Thursday night. Currently, Toronto is third in the division, just half a game ahead of the Rays in fourth place, and 3.5 games behind the Yankees who lead the division. Alejandro Kirk had the game-winning RBI-single in the 10th inning of Wednesday's game against Boston. Kirk, the 26-year-old catcher in his sixth season with the team, has two home runs and 10 RBIs this season with a .239 batting average. Anthony Santander, in his first season with the team, shares the team lead in home runs with four and has 12 RBIs but needs to improve his .178 batting average. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the team with four home runs and 14 RBIs as the first baseman. Chris Bassitt, a 36-year-old right-hander, will make his seventh start of the season with a 2-2 record and a 2.62 ERA. The Blue Jays currently have a power ranking of 26 and rank 28th in offense, scoring an average of 3.34 runs per game, and 21st in defense, giving up an average of 4.55 runs per game. They hold a 14-16 overall record and Cleveland recently went 0-3 in their matchups against Toronto.

Toronto Blue Jays Offense Soaring with Chris Bassitt at the Helm

The Toronto Blue Jays offense is showing signs of improvement, boosted by the presence of top pitcher Chris Bassitt on the mound. While Bassitt faced tough challenges against elite offenses such as the Yankees and Astros in his recent outings, he maintains a solid ERA of 2.62 across six starts, reflecting his strong performances earlier in the season. Against the Braves, he recorded 10 strikeouts and kept the Mets scoreless for over six innings. With a total of 39 strikeouts this season, Bassitt has demonstrated his ability to effectively strike batters out, outperforming Allen of Cleveland who only managed 18 strikeouts in a comparable timeframe. Additionally, power hitters Santander and Guerrero have been hitting home runs consistently, further bolstering the Blue Jays' chances of victory in the upcoming game. Overall, Toronto is favored to win.

Sources: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]