Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals 4/5/2023 Predictions, Picks and Odds
The second week of the 2023 Major League Baseball Season promises a thrilling interleague match-up between the Toronto Blue Jays and the St. Louis Cardinals. The game will take place at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. Toronto enters the game as the favorite with a -190 odds and the total set at 9.0.
On Monday, the Blue Jays suffered a defeat of 9-5 to the Royals, who were considered the underdogs (+120) and managed to pull off a surprise victory with the total set at 8.0. These teams are set to play again on Tuesday, but this preview was written prior to the conclusion of that contest. In the previous game against the Royals, Toronto’s pitcher Jose Berrios had a tough time as he gave up eight runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings, resulting in a loss for the Blue Jays. Despite their late rally, they fell short, leaving them with a 1-3 record on the road.
Toronto has been struggling with their pitching in the early stages of the season, currently ranking 29th in team ERA (7.64). Their starting rotation has been the main culprit, posting a 10.80 ERA. On Wednesday, Alek Manoah will take the mound, presenting a potential issue for Toronto. Manoah had a rough opening day start, allowing five runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings. However, he is coming off an impressive season where he went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA.
- The total went OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 9 games against an opponent in the AL.
- The Blue Jays are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games with a team in the AL Central Division.
- The Toronto Blue Jays are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games played in April.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals 4/5/2023 Predictions, Picks and Odds
In their game against Toronto, the Kansas City Royals came out strong, taking an early 7-0 lead before their opponents even had a chance to score. Pitcher Brady Singer played a key role in this victory, limiting Toronto to just one run on two hits during his five innings on the mound.
The Royals had a rough start to their season, losing all three games in their opening series at home. However, with this win, they now have a 1-3 record at home. Their offense had been struggling, failing to score any runs in their first two games against the Twins. The seven runs they scored in this game were more than they had scored in their first three games combined. Salvador Perez has been the standout player for the Royals, with a batting average of .364.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Royals’ pitching staff has been performing well, with a team ERA of 3.75 that ranks 12th in the league. The starting rotation has been particularly strong, with an ERA of 2.66 and only six earned runs allowed in 20.1 innings pitched. Looking ahead, Zack Greinke will try to build on the team’s momentum after a solid but ultimately unsuccessful outing in his first start of the season, where he gave up just two runs in 5.1 innings.
- The total stayed UNDER in 5 of Kansas City’s last 6 games at home against Toronto.
- Kansas City is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games against an opponent in the American League.
- The total went OVER in 8 of Kansas City’s last 11 games when playing as the underdog.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals. The MLB pick for this game is the Toronto Blue Jays. Kansas City jumped all over Berrios on Monday and it is not surprising. The Toronto staff must still think it is spring training as they have had no answers on how to shut down opponents. Manoah is coming off an impressive season that had him in the conversation for Cy Young, but The Blue Jays bullpen has not been lights out. They have been better than the starters (3.68), but have a 1.57 WHIP, so there is plenty of opportunity for Kansas City to score throughout this game. Greinke has had mixed results in his career against the Blue Jays, going 5-5 with a 4.08 in 15 appearances. He was rocked for four runs in four innings by Toronto on July 15, but that broke a string of three straight victories against the Blue Jays. Prediction : Toronto will win 7-5.
MLB Starting Time: 7:40 PM ET
Location: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium, Missouri
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2023
TV: BSKC
MLB Odds: Toronto Blue Jays -175
MLB Totals: 10
