bet365 MLB Odds, Betting Preview: Red Sox Vs. Blue Jays (June 30)

The Toronto Blue Jays are riding high heading into a Canada Day long weekend series with the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre.

Toronto is coming off a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday to claim a third straight series win after taking two of three from the Giants. Overall, the Jays have won four of their last five games.

Boston, meanwhile, is a team heading in the opposite direction after getting swept by the Miami Marlins in its most recent three-game set.

The Blue Jays are -140 home favourites on Friday night at bet365 and the total is set at nine runs.

Red Sox vs. Blue Jays odds

Red Sox Moneyline Odds	+120
Blue Jays Moneyline Odds	-140
Runline odds	Blue Jays -1.5 (+145), Red Sox +1.5 (-165)
Over/Under	9 runs (-105 over, +115 under)
Time/Date	Friday, June 30, 7:07 p.m. ET
TV	Broadcast: Sportsnet/SN NOW

All odds courtesy of

About the Red Sox (40-42 SU, 41-41 ATS, 44-37-1 o/u)

The Red Sox enter this one on a five-game losing streak that has pushed the team below .500 and well into the basement of the American League East standings. Even worse, the team is coming off a demoralizing loss Thursday in which starting pitcher Brayan Bello took a no-hitter into the eighth inning only to pick up the loss.

Boston’s bats are cold coming into this matchup as the offence has scored a total of just eight runs during the team’s current five-game slide. Despite the recent cold streak, Boston still ranks in the top 10 in team batting average (.258 – 9th), on-base percentage (.329 – 7th), and slugging percentage (.419 – 10th).

This team is a mess defensively, too, as manager Alex Cora has used 14 different second base/shortstop combinations this season without much success. Boston has -19 defensive runs saved this season, which ranks 24th in the majors.

It should be noted, though, that Boston swept Toronto in a four-game set at Fenway Park in early May.

About the Blue Jays (45-37 SU, 37-45 ATS, 37-41-4 o/u)

The Blue Jays discovered last night that they won’t have a position player starting in the All-Star Game for the first time since 2019. Five Blue Jays — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman, Whit Merrifield, and Kevin Kiermaier — were all up for consideration for a starting spot, but all five were slighted. This could obviously change depending on injuries in the games leading up to July 11, but these players could use these snubs as motivation against the Red Sox.

However, the Blue Jays have struggled mightily against teams in their own division this year, recording a brutal 7-17 record against AL East foes to this point. They’re 38-20 against teams outside of the division.

The aforementioned Kiermaier didn’t play for the third straight game on Thursday as he continues to deal with back spasms. He’s questionable to play Friday.

Probable pitchers

Boston: James Paxton (3-1, 3.19 ERA, 11.48 K/9, 1.02 WHIP

Paxton is finally healthy and performing like the elite pitcher he used to be. Big Maple is 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 10 career starts against Toronto, but he has fond memories of Rogers Centre, where the Canadian threw a no-hitter back in 2018 as a member of the Seattle Mariners. Paxton only threw 63 pitches in his last start due to left knee soreness.

Toronto: Jose Berrios (8-5, 3.60 ERA, 8.24 K/9, 1.22 WHIP

Berrios is having a fine month of June, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.03 ERA across five starts. But he hasn’t excelled in his career against the Red Sox, as evidenced by his 1-5 record with a 4.15 ERA across 11 starts against Boston. He received a no-decision at Boston on May 1, when he yielded five runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Weather

Forecasts are calling for temperatures around 23C with a 40% chance of thunderstorms at first pitch. Conditions are expected to improve throughout the evening, so the retractable dome at Rogers Centre will likely be open. Winds will be light out of the east at 10 km/h and blowing from left field to right field.

Betting trends

• The Red Sox are 1-6 in the last seven meetings in Toronto.
• The over is 5-0 in the past last five meetings in Toronto.
• Toronto is 1-6 in its last seven series openers.
• The under is 8-1 in Boston’s last nine games against AL East opponents.

Player prop trends

• Betting the under on Berrios’ earned runs has been a profitable play lately. The righty has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts. He’s only had one poor outing during that run against the Miami Marlins, when he coughed up five earned runs. He’s -115 to record under 2.5 earned runs.
• Both Daulton Varsho and Chapman have hits in three straight games. Chapman is -180 to record a hit and Varsho is -160.

Wagers to consider

• Jays runline -1.5 (+145). Toronto should be hungry for some revenge after getting swept at Fenway and is in position to take advantage of a demoralized Boston squad. Paxton’s knee is also a concern and there’s no telling how deep he’ll be able to pitch in this game.
• Team total – Red Sox under 4.5 runs: -145. Boston’s struggling to put up runs of late and one of its best hitters, Masataka Yoshida, is still nursing a sore forearm. He returned to the lineup and went 0-for-3.

Other MLB games on Friday

Home Team			Away Team	Time (ET)
Chicago Cubs	-170	+150	Cleveland Indians	2:20 PM
Cincinnati Reds	+115	-135	San Diego Padres	5:10 PM
Philadelphia Phillies	-175	+155	Washington Nationals	6:05 PM
Pittsburgh Pirates	+120	-140	Milwaukee Brewers	7:05 PM
Baltimore Orioles	-115	-105	Minnesota Twins	7:05 PM
New York Mets	+100	-120	San Francisco Giants	7:10 PM
Atlanta Braves	-185	+165	Miami Marlins	7:20 PM
Texas Rangers	-160	+140	Houston Astros	8:05 PM
Kansas City Royals	+180	-220	Los Angeles Dodgers	8:10 PM
Colorado Rockies	+100	-120	Detroit Tigers	8:10 PM
St. Louis Cardinals	-110	-110	New York Yankees	8:15 PM
Los Angeles Angels	-150	+130	Arizona Diamondbacks	9:38 PM
Oakland Athletics	+135	-155	Chicago White Sox	9:40 PM
Seattle Mariners	+115	-135	Tampa Bay Rays	10:10 PM