Astros vs Blue Jays Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, July 1 (bet on Hous

Don’t look now, but the Houston Astros are just 3.5 games out of first place in the AL West, winning nine of their last 10 games heading into Monday’s morning game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto is still in last place in the AL East, and this could be an active team at the trade deadline as a seller if things don’t improve soon.

Despite being just one game above .500, Houston has the sixth-best run differential in the American League, and it’s climbing with the Astros playing some of their best ball of the season.

Houston won two of three games against the Jays earlier this season, outscoring them 19-2 during the series. This is not good news for the Jays, who enter this game as a home underdog.

Let’s dive into the odds, likely pitchers and best bet for the first of three Major League Baseball matchups on Monday.

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Moneyline

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Odds via DraftKings sportsbook.

Houston Astros

Yordan Alvarez: June was a great month for the Houston slugger, as he hit .349 with seven homers, eight doubles and 19 RBIs. Alvarez pushed his season batting line to .294/.371/.520, and he’s expected to hit against a struggling pitcher like Rodriguez on Monday afternoon.

Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: A candidate to be moved at the trade deadline, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has certainly held up his end of the bargain for the Jays in 2024. The first baseman is hitting .297 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs, posting an OPS+ of 141 this season. While Toronto’s offense hasn’t been as good as they’d hoped, Vladdy Jr. has been a bright spot throughout 2024.

There’s no doubt the Astros are the better team right now, and they even have a considerable advantage on the mound thanks to Hunter Brown’s recent performances.

The young right-hander posted a 1.16 ERA and 2.97 independent pitching over five starts in the month of June, leading the Astros to a 4-1 record in those outings. Brown hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a single outing since May 22.

Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez has taken a much different path, allowing at least three runs in each of his last three outings, pushing his ERA from 2.35 to 5.94. In his last start, Rodriguez was chased after just 1.1 innings of work, allowing five runs to the Cleveland Guardians.

Toronto is still 3-2 in its five outings this season, but I have a feeling that won’t hold up on Monday. The Blue Jays will likely have to use a lot of their bullpen tonight since Rodriguez hasn’t pitched more than four innings in a single outing in 2024.

That’s a problem because the Jays rank 28th in Major League Baseball in ERA (4.74) in the bullpen this season.

With Brown in top form on the mound and the Astros playing their best baseball of the season, I can’t help but consider them road favorites on Monday.

Pick: Astros Moneyline (-135)

Odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.

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