Toronto Blue Jays (30-26) +115, 7 at Los Angeles Angels (32-23), 10 pm Eastern Friday
by Zman of Predictem.com
A couple of the hotter teams in the American League meet when the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels kick off a three-game weekend series Friday night in Anaheim.
Baseball Bookies are listing Los Angeles and starting pitcher Jered Weaver as -125 home favorites for Friday’s game, with a total of 7 , while Toronto and Dustin McGowan are getting around +115 as road underdogs.
Toronto just took two of three games in Oakland and has won seven of its last eight, outscoring opponents 42-11 over that span. Going into this weekend’s action, the Jays are in third place in the AL East, three games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Los Angeles just took two of three games from Detroit, and has won four series in a row. So heading into Friday’s play, the Angels lead the AL West by 2 games over the second-place Oakland A’s.
Also, the Angels’ last nine games have all gone under their totals, as their pitching has allowed only 20 runs over that span, but the bats have scored just 23 runs.
In the first meeting this season between these two teams, LA took two of three games from the Jays in Toronto last week. And all three games stayed under their totals.
Toronto took four of seven games from Los Angeles last year, and six of the seven games went under their totals, as they averaged just six runs per.
The Blue Jays are 15-15 on the road this season, 10-9 as underdogs, and 27-29 vs. the run line.
LA is 16-12 at home this year, 20-14 as favorites, 28-27 vs. the run line.
McGowan (3-4, 3.90), over his last three starts, which includes a nice outing in a win over Kansas City last Sunday, has allowed five ER and 25 baserunners (hits + walks) in 18 1/3 IP.
McGowan started twice last year vs. LA, and once this season, allowing eight ER and 22 BR in 19 1/3 innings of work. The Blue Jays lost all three of those games, and all three stayed well below their totals.
Toronto is 4-7 in McGowan’s starts this year, the totals a lop-sided 1-9.
Weaver (4-5, 4.16), after a rocky start to this season, has been very good lately, giving up just two ER and 15 BR over his last three starts, covering 20 1/3 IP.
Weaver started once vs. Toronto last year, holding the Jays scoreless through six innings of a 3-0 Angels win.
LA is 5-6 in Weaver’s starts this year, the totals 4-7.
Toronto ranks 14th in the majors with a .260 team batting average, 9th in team OBP at .337, 25th in team slugging at .374, and is averaging 4.0 runs per game.
Los Angeles ranks 22nd in batting at .254, 23rd in OBP at .319, 20th in slugging at .388, and is averaging 4.3 RPG.
The Toronto bullpen, one of the best in baseball, hasn’t allowed a run over its last five games, covering nine IP.
The Angels pen has given up just one ER and 11 BR in its last five games, covering 12 1/3 innings of work.
The totals are 18-36 in Jays games this year, 19-34 in Angels games.
Zman’s Pick: Weaver looks like he’s turning things around. Great pitching matchup tonight but the nod goes to the Angels here.