MLB Picks: Single Game Picks & Props for Thursday, August 20
We have a total of six afternoon games in Major League Baseball (MLB) on Thursday, with a first pitch ranging from 12:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. ET, while there are three evening games. The Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers meet at 8:05 p.m. ET, and it is televised on FOX Sports 1. Let's get started!
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Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays Best Bets and Predictions
Pick #1: Rays ML (-160 Caesars)
The Blue Jays (62-66) and the Rays (76-50) meet at Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon in the rubber contest of a three-game American League East series.
The Blue Jays (+118) doubled up the Rays 10-5 on Tuesday, as the Over (7.5) cashed, while the Rays (-194) held on for a 7-6 victory Wednesday, again as the Over (11.5) connected.
Toronto's Charles McAdoo was helpful out of the nine-hole, going 3 for 4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI, pushing his average to .292. Alejandro Kirk ended up 2 for 5 with a homer and two RBI, too. Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz went 1 for 3 with his 19th homer of the season, finishing with two RBI, while Richie Palacios had a double and a pair of RBI.
Toronto has dropped two of the past three outings, but since Aug. 7, it is still a respectable 8-4, while the Over has cashed in three in a row, and six of the past eight outings.
Tampa Bay still has a 5.5-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the AL East despite the split in the first two games. The Rays have managed a plus-49 run differential, while the Blue Jays have managed a minus-53 to date.
Blue Jays RHP Shane Bieber (4-2, 4.99 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) gets the ball for the visitors. He is slowly starting to round into form. He allowed just a run via solo homer, with four hits allowed, in six innings in a 3-1 home win over the New York Yankees last time out. He is 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA across 17.1 IP in three August starts.
Rays LHP Ian Seymour (9-3, 4.11 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) works for the home side. He has three quality starts in three August outings, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA, allowing three homers with three walks and 25 strikeouts.
Toronto is just 21-21 inside the division, and 17-17 vs. LHP this season. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is 24-17 inside the division, while going 43-22 at home.
As long as you can get Tampa Bay at -175 or cheaper, it is a strong play.
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Pick #2: Blue Jays/Rays Over 7.5 Runs (-115 Fanatics)
Looking to the total, the Over has cashed in each of the first two games of this series, with 28 combined runs, or 14.0 runs per game.
The Over has cashed in three in a row for Toronto, while going 6-2 in the past eight games, and 11-4 in the past 15 contests since Aug. 4. The total has gone high in seven of the past eight road games, too.
For Tampa Bay, the total has gone high in four in a row, averaging 5.3 runs per game (RPG) on offense, while allowing 8.0 RPG in the same span. The Over is 8-1 in the past nine games, too. The trends are too strong on both sides to consider the Under, especially with such a miniscule total.
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Pick #3: Blue Jays - Over 3.5 Runs (+100 Caesars)
Looking to the team props, Rays pitching has allowed six or more runs in four in a row, and at least four runs in each of the past nine games.
Taking Toronto to go Over 3.5 runs scored at even-money seems like a strong play. Seymour is solid, but he has been very giving, too. He is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA across two starts in five relief appearances against the Blue Jays.
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MLB Picks Recap
- Rays ML (-160 Caesars)
- Blue Jays/Rays - Over 7.5 Runs (-115 Fanatics)
- Blue Jays - Over 3.5 Runs Scored (+100 Caesars)
All plays - 1 Unit
