Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays Free Pick for 4/14/23

Tampa Bay Rays (13-0) at Toronto Blue Jays (8-5), 4/14/23
When: 7:07 pm ET Friday, April 14
Where: Rogers Centre
TV: BSSUN, SNET
MLB Betting odds: TB -130/Tor +110
Over/under: 9

The Tampa Bay Rays shoot for MLB history when they open a three-game AL East rivalry series with the Blue Jays in Toronto Friday night. Tampa is 13-0 on the season, the best start in the Majors since 1987. A win Friday night gives the Rays the best start to a new campaign in modern Baseball history.

Drew Rasmussen takes his turn for Tampa here against a struggling Jose Berrios for the Blue Jays.

How are we playing this game with our free baseball betting pick?

MLB Betting Odds

Friday’s baseball betting lines opened this game at right around a pick ’em, with an over/under of nine runs. Early betting action then goosed Tampa into a -130 favorite.

Rays-Blue Jays MLB Betting Preview

Tampa Bay just stretched its season-opening winning streak to 13 by sweeping four games at home from Boston, finishing the Red Sox off with a 9-3 romp Thursday afternoon. Just before that, the Rays swept three games from Oakland, and just before that, they swept three games at Washington.

So at 13-0, Tampa is tied with the 1982 Braves and 1987 Brewers for the best start to a season in ML history. The Rays also own a five-game lead on Toronto and the Yankees in the AL East.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, just took two of three games at home from Detroit, missing out on the sweep by losing Thursday’s series finale 3-1. Just before that Toronto took two of three at the Angels, and just before that, they took three of four at Kansas City.

So the Jays are 7-2 over their last nine games.

Last year Tampa Bay took the season series from Toronto 10 games to nine.

Friday’s Pitching Match-Up

Berrios is a bad 0-2 on quality starts this season. First, he gave up eight runs over 5 2/3 innings of a 9-5 Toronto loss to the Royals. Then last Saturday he got nicked for six runs – four earned – in just four innings of a 9-5 Blue Jays loss to the Angels.

Last year Berrios hit 16/32 on quality starts as Toronto played 23-9 with him. So you gotta wonder what’s going on with this guy.

Over three starts against Tampa Bay last season – one good, one bad, and one decent – Berrios allowed nine ER and 21 hits through 13 1/3 innings. The Jays won two of those three games, with the overs going 2-1.

Rasmussen is 2/2 on quality starts this year, albeit against some weak competition. First, he held the Nationals scoreless on two hits through six innings of a 6-2 Rays victory. Then last Sunday, he held the A’s scoreless on one hit through seven frames of an 11-0 Tampa win.

Last year, pitching on a short leash most of the way, Rasmussen only hit 8/28 on quality starts, but the Rays played 19-9 with him.

Over five starts against Toronto last season, Rasmussen allowed eight ER and 23 hits through 26 2/3 innings. Thanks to some poor run support Tampa Bay only won two of those six games, with the Unders going 4-1-1.

Splits With the Sticks

Yes, it’s still early, but …

The Rays are batting .276 against right-handed pitching this season, with a .367 team OBP and a .575 team slugging percentage. Tampa has also scored at least six runs nine times over their last ten games!

Toronto is slashing .280/.348/.446 against right-handed pitching.

The Bullpens

The Blue Jays bullpen owns a 3.33 ERA this season, along with a 1.17 WHIP and a 2.42 K/BB ratio.

The Rays pen owns a 2.34 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and a 2.53 K/BB ratio.

MLB Betting Trends

Tampa Bay is 8-0 against right-handed starters this season.

Toronto is 4-3 against RH-handed starters.

Totals Report

• The Overs are 9-3 in Rays games this season.
• The Overs are 7-6 in Blue Jays games.
• The Overs played 19-12 with Berrios last season.
• The Unders played 15-12 with Rasmussen last season.

ZMan’s MLB Pick

Tampa’s won 13 in a row, and they want that record for themselves. Also, Rasmussen gets the checkmark in the pitching match-up, and the Rays own the better bullpen. So while we don’t like going along with the betting flow, we’re taking Tampa Bay Friday night. Bet your baseball picks for FREE for the next week by scoring a 100% real cash bonus at one of our top tier sportsbooks!