The Toronto Blue Jays are back in action Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners after taking the series opener Monday at Rogers Centre.
Toronto treated its home fans to a wire-to-wire victory in its home opener, cruising to a 5-2 victory thanks to a strong pitching performance from Jose Berrios who held the Mariners scoreless through 6 2/3 innings while collecting six strikeouts.
Bet on Mariners vs. Blue Jays
SEA +102
TOR -118
With the loss, the Mariners fell to 4-7 to begin the campaign and they’re in danger of dropping three straight games for the second time already this season.
Let’s dig into the best odds available for Tuesday’s showdown between these two American League teams.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays best odds
| Mariners Moneyline Odds | +103 @ Pinnacle |
| Blue Jays Moneyline Odds | -108 @ FanDuel |
| Runline Odds | Blue Jays -1.5 (+186 @ Pinnacle) Mariners +1.5 (-210 @ Pinnacle) |
| Over/Under | Over 7.5 runs (-114 @ NorthStar Bets) Under 8 runs (-112 @ DraftKings) |
| Time/Date | April 9, 7:07 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet |
Betting Seattle Mariners (4-7 SU, 3-8 ATS, 5-5-1 o/u)
The Mariners have struggled to score runs this season, but they did build some offensive momentum with a pair of solo homers courtesy of J.P Crawford and Cal Raleigh late in Monday’s contest.
Seattle hitters have combined for nine home runs (19th in the majors) early this season, but they’re slugging just .322 (fifth-lowest mark in MLB) and hitting .212 (24th in baseball) while averaging just three runs per game.
The good news is that first baseman Ty France returned from the paternity list Monday and went 3-for-4 to boost his slash line to an impressive .379/.419/.414 this season. He’s also had a considerable amount of success against Toronto’s probable starting pitcher, Chris Bassitt, recording a 1.07 OPS in 13 career at-bats against him.
Betting Toronto Blue Jays (5-6 SU, 6-5 ATS, 6-5 o/u)
The Blue Jays finally put some runs on the board Monday thanks to a breakout performance from slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who went 2-for-4 to record three total bases and an RBI. Davis Schneider also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-4 as well with a pair of RBIs. Eight different Blue Jays recorded a hit in the victory, so that could be a positive sign heading into another tough matchup Tuesday with a premium pitcher (George Kirby).
Overall, the Jays have struggled collectively at the dish, ranking 23rd in the majors with a .341 slugging percentage, 27th with a team batting average of just .206, and 20th with a team on-base percentage of .305. Toronto is averaging 3.7 runs per game, which ranks 21st in MLB.
It should be noted that relievers Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) are still on the injured list, leaving high-leverage duties to Yimi Garcia and Chad Green. Toronto’s relievers have somewhat held the fort without the duo of Romano and Swanson, recording a pedestrian 4.57 ERA and 1.43 WHIP early this season. However, the unit has coughed up nine homers through 11 games, the most in the majors.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over 1.5 total bases
+120
Probable pitchers
Seattle: RHP George Kirby (1-1, 5.23 ERA, 8.71 K/9, 1.26 WHIP)
Kirby was shelled by the Cleveland Guardians last time out, coughing up six earned runs and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings of work to take the loss. He was excellent in his first outing of the young season, though, tossing 6 2/3 innings of no-run ball with eight strikeouts against the Boston Red Sox. Kirby ranked in the 100th percentile with a walk rate of just 2.5% last season, so the Blue Jays will have to be ready to swing the bat against him. He also ranked in the 88th percentile in chase rate (32.9%) last year and boasts a fastball that averages around 96 mph to go along with a nasty slider, sinker, and knuckle curveball.
Toronto: RHP Chris Bassitt (0-2, 7.71 ERA, 8.68 K/9, 2.14 WHIP)
Bassitt was a bulldog throwing 200 innings last year for the Jays, but he’s off to a rough start in 2024. The 35-year-old has yielded four earned runs in both of his previous outings and he’s walked five batters in less than 10 innings pitched. He has a 1-4 record with a 4.27 ERA in 14 career appearances against the Mariners, who have hit .269 against him in those outings. Every current positional player on Seattle’s roster has at least one career at-bat against Bassitt, so he won’t have the element of surprise heading into this matchup.
Weather
The retractable roof at Rogers Centre will likely be closed due to a 40% chance of thunderstorms and temperatures expected to be only 12 C by first pitch.
MLB betting trends
- The Blue Jays have won both games they’ve played as favourites this season.
- The Blue Jays have hit the first five innings team total under in 18 of their last 26 games.
- The Mariners have two wins in the five contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
MLB player prop trends
- France carries a seven-game hitting streak into this matchup and he boasts a lofty .462 batting average in 13 career at-bats against Bassitt. The best odds for him to get a hit can be found at Betano (-189).
- Bo Bichette is off to a slow start for the Jays, striking out in five straight games and seven of the nine games he’s played this season. He’s hitless in three career at-bats with a strikeout against Kirby. The best odds on Bichette to strike out at least once can be found at Sports Interaction (-175).
MLB bets to consider
- Keep an eye on Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger in this one. He has outstanding career numbers against Bassitt, going 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles and a pair of homers against him. Haniger went hitless Monday, but he homered in the team’s season opener and owns a respectable .257./333/.400 slash line through 10 games. You can grab Haniger to record over one total base at BetVictor (-133), to record a double at bet365 (+350) or to homer at Sports Interaction (+525).
- Mariners moneyline: +103 @ Pinnacle. This is a big starting pitching mismatch in favour of the Mariners and several positional players (France, Haniger, Crawford, Jorge Polanco, and Luke Raley) on Seattle’s roster have enjoyed success at the plate against Bassitt in their careers. Getting the Mariners at plus money is a good play here.
