Blue Jays vs. Red Sox prediction and odds for Thursday, May 4 (Toronto needs a stopper)

This four-game series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox was Toronto’s chance to gain some separation from the bottom two teams in the AL East, the Red Sox and Yankees, but instead Boston has won three straight and has a chance to sweep tonight at home. The Blue Jays are 18-13 and the Red Sox are 18-14 with a chance to overtake for the third spot in the division. 

Toronto needs a starting pitcher to step up as the stopper and that could be Kevin Gausman, who is on the mound for Game 4 against Brayan Bello for Boston. Gausman is 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA in his six starts this year while Bello has only made three starts and is 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA. 

Toronto definitely needs to win one in Boston before they head to Pittsburgh this weekend, so let’s get into the odds and see if they’re a good bet tonight. 

Blue Jays vs. Red Sox odds, run line and total

Blue Jays vs. Red Sox prediction and pick

The offense hasn’t really been the issue for the Blue Jays. Though they haven’t been dominant, they have scored 14 runs in the three games this series. The issue is that they have allowed 21 runs. It's not just this series, looking at the past seven days, they have given up 12 home runs, third most over that stretch and have a 4.58 ERA as a staff. Their bullpen ranks 15th in ERA on the season, but the relievers aren’t the issue in this series. 

Each of the three starters the Blue Jays have run out to the mound, Jose Berrios, Yusei Kikuchi, and Alek Manoah have allowed five runs in their start. Meanwhile, the team will hope it can get a quality start out of Gausman. The right hander has had four scoreless starts this season, and one outing where he allowed three earned, but against Houston on April 17, he got blown up for eight runs, seven of them earned in 4.2 innings. He needs to avoid that type of start and I think he will. 

Gausman has a 2.38 FIP to go along with his 2.33 ERA and he has struck out 54 to just six walks this season. He’s exactly what Toronto needs right now and they’ll escape Boston with one win and salvage a disastrous series. 

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change