Blue Jays vs. Cardinals prediction and odds for Opening Day

The Toronto Blue Jays will begin its 2023 campaign with an interleague series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Alek Manoah will get the ball for Opening Day, after an extremely impressive sophomore season where he finished third in AL Cy Young voting with a 2.24 ERA. He'll face-off against Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals, who is coming off a strong season as well, posting a 3.29 ERA.

So, which team will get their season started off with a win? Let's dive into the odds and then I'll give you my best bet.

Blue Jays vs. Cardinals odds, spread, and total

Blue Jays vs. Cardinals prediction and pick

I'm shocked the Blue Jays are only small favorites in this match up. Sure, they're on the road against a fellow playoff team, but I believe Toronto has the advantage both in pitching and offensively.

The Blue Jays were second in the Majors last season in OPS at .759 and fourth in runs per game, averaging 4.78. The Cardinals, meanwhile, ranked fifth and sixth in those two areas. The Jays also smashed right-handed pitchers, ranking second in OPS. Adding a couple of left-handed bats to their lineup like Daulton Varsho and Brandon Belt will only help them in that area.

Alek Manoah could be a solid bet to also win the AL Cy Young this season, finishing third in voting last year. I think he gets his season started off strong with an impressive performance against the Cardinals.

Give me the Jays to get their first win of the season in St. Louis.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.