The Toronto Blue Jays will travel to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in an Opening Day matchup on Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Blue Jays-Cardinals prediction and pick, laid out below.
Toronto finished their season in second place of the AL East, securing the top Wild Card spot with a 92-70 record. Even with a torrid end to the season, Toronto could not climb atop the division. A solid offseason supplemented an already talented roster, giving the Blue Jays a legitimate chance to contend.
St. Louis has long been one of the better franchises in the league, winning the NL Central with a 93-69 record last season. The playoffs were unsuccessful, as the Cardinals were swept by the Phillies in the Wild Card Series. Manager Oliver Marmol’s team is littered with talent.
Here are the Blue Jays-Cardinals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Cardinals Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+155)
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-188)
Over: 7.5 (-112)
Under: 7.5 (-108)
How To Watch Blue Jays vs. Cardinals
TV: SNET, Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 4:10 PM ET/1:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. is back to anchor a strong Toronto lineup. Last season, Guerrero, Jr. bashed 32 home runs and 35 doubles, slashing .274/.339/.480, earning his second straight All-Star bid. For the second straight season, Bo Bichette led the league in hits, slashing .290/.333/.469 with 24 home runs and 13 stolen bases. George Springer will headline the outfield, hitting .267 with 25 home runs and 14 stolen bases last year. Springer’s continued health is key to Toronto’s success. Keep an eye on Daulton Varsho, who was acquired from Arizona this offseason. Varsho’s skillset is interesting, as he ranks towards the top of the Statcast leaderboards in outs above average and outfield jump. Varsho has also caught in his career and hit 27 home runs to set a new career high last season.
Alek Manoah will be the Opening Day starter for Toronto, coming on the heels of a huge season. Manoah finished third in Cy Young voting, pitching to a 2.24 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 196.2 innings. Submariner Adam Cimber was great out of the bullpen, notching 10 wins with a 2.80 ERA in 70.2 innings.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
St. Louis boasts a strong lineup, led by reigning MVP Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt slashed .317/.404/.578 with 35 home runs last season. Nolan Arenado, in addition to his otherworldly defense, has been electric at the plate in two seasons with St. Louis. Arenado clubbed 30 home runs and 42 doubles last season. Breakout candidate Lars Nootbaar has improved his power since being drafted out of USC, pairing that power with elite plate discipline. Nootbaar walked 51 times and hit 14 home runs in 108 games last season. Top prospect Jordan Walker earned a spot on the Opening Day roster with a strong spring, and brings top-of-the-scale power. Walker has been playing outfield in an effort to find consistent playing time.
Miles Mikolas, fresh off a new contract extension, will begin the Cardinals’ season. Mikolas has been solid since returning to the states in 2018, pitching to a 3.29 ERA in 202.1 innings last season. Ryan Helsley owns one of the league’s best fastballs, and saved 19 games last season, striking out 94 in 64.2 innings, with a 1.25 ERA.
Final Blue Jays-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
Having Manoah on the mound is the advantage that Toronto is looking for in this one.
Final Blue Jays-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Toronto -1.5 (+155), under 7.5 (-108)
The post MLB Odds: Blue Jays vs. Cardinals prediction, pick, how to watch – 3/30/2023 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
