Toronto Blue Jays (65-70) vs. Boston Red Sox (69-64)
As Major League Baseball enters into the latter part of its seasons, on August 29, 2024, Thursday, a crucial series comes up between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Seeing that both of them are fighting to make it to the playoffs, this particular game may change the AL standing quite a bit. The Blue Jays were largely struggling this season but are uncorked and on the upswing as they have won five of their last seven games. At the same time, the Red Sox are better situated in the divisional standings, but clearly, they have fallen behind and are trying to capitalize on the home position. This game will air on ESPN+ at 7:10 PM ET and it has a lot of significance for bettors and fans. To those who plan to use the bet tracking services of the best bookie software, managing the betting on this game will be important because of the recent fluctuation of the teams’ form.
Into this game, the Toronto Blue Jays surely have a mixed bag of results over the recent games. Their season record is below .500, yet their recent winning trend indicates a possible turnaround. With respect to batting, the team is hitting .240 on average with home runs and runs batted in by various starters at respectable totals. Their OBP of .313 and slugging percentage of .394 is decent but can be bettered. For pitching, the team ERA currently stands at 4.44. This is a number that they will have to work on if they are to have any chances of winning games towards the end of the season.
Boston Red Sox is looking to catch the last train to the playoffs with a very modest 69-64 record. It can be noted that their team stats are often better than the ones for the Blue Jays, with a .259 batting average and a strong slugging of .438. Boston’s team of pitchers has posted an ERA that is an average for the league at 4.19 which is a tad better than Toronto area and had a good WHIP of 1.27. At home however, the Sox have been on a slide of 2-5 in their last 7 which is worrying and something they will need to rectify in this series.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox Game Info
| When: | Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 7:10 PM ET |
| Where: | Fenway Park |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
| Stream: | MLB.TV |
Bowden Francis (7-3, 4.02 ERA) vs. Kutter Crawford (8-11, 4.19 ERA)
A key warrior in the battle against the opposing team is Bowden Francis of the Blue Jays, who holds an impressive record of 7-3, and an era of 4.02 which he has built over the years. Given his WHIP of 1.07 and 70 strikeouts over 71.2 innings pitched, it can be inferred that he knows how to handle games well, though a high of 13 home runs suggests susceptibility to power hitters. The most important aspect here is his effectiveness, especially when it comes to handling the Boston Red Sox’s dangerous bats.
In contrast, Kutter Crawford of the Red Sox, 8-11, 4.19, is somewhat inconsistent. However, a decent WHIP of 1.09 and 138 strikeouts do not cover the 28 home runs he has given up. Containing the game’s tempo against the Toronto batsmen who seem to have improved their form of late will be vital for Boston.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Boston Red Sox -135, Total Odds: 9
The Boston Red Sox, at present, appear slightly more favored in the betting as compared to the other teams owing to their home ground advantage and relatively better season record. The close point spread and even moneyline indicate the bookmakers believe the game will be highly competitive. There is value in betting on Toronto in this particular scenario since they have performed in an upward trend of late.
Toronto Blue Jays Betting Trends
The recent form of the Toronto team, including the results in the last seven games, 5-2, looks promising. It must be noted, however, that their losses against Boston in several recent meetings, 2-6, and their away games problems, wherein the total has gone under in four of the last five games played away, are some concerns for the punters.
Boston Red Sox Betting Trends
Boston has a reasonable record considering that this season is almost done, but considering their last home game and division’s opponents current trend, the future is a bit mixed (4-1 in the last 5 games against AL East). As for the trend of total runs in recent games with Toronto, out of the last 13 games at Fenway 9 have gone over, which may catch the interest regarding over-under predictions.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox 8/29/2024 Betting Picks
Considering the review of the overall picture and trends, this game is expected to be very close and most likely will be high-scoring as well. Both outfits are potentially volatile but considering current forms, the Blue Jays may prove to be a value pick because of their recent resurgence and their decent Thursday record (6 wins & 2 losses from last 8 Thursday games).
These opinions are aimed at those who search for MLB picks and predictions as they might want to back the over in total runs as quite a few are expected to be added especially given the history of these two when they go to Fenway. Betting on the propositions of each players’ characteristics might also be worth it, especially spelling Bowden Francis along with some crucial hitters for both teams.
