First place in the American League Wild Card standings will be on the line on Tuesday night when the Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles as -150 home betting favourites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto dropped a 7-5 decision to the New York Yankees on Monday but maintains a slim one-game lead over Baltimore in the AL wild card hunt heading into Tuesday night’s Orioles vs. Blue Jays betting matchup at Rogers Centre.
Monday’s loss ended the Blue Jays’ three-game winning streak, and squandered an opportunity for the club to move two games ahead of the Orioles in the AL wild card race.
Instead, the Blue Jays now find themselves in a must-win situation against their division rival this week if they are to control their own destiny and ensure themselves of home-field advantage in a possible wild card matchup.
The Orioles enjoyed an off-day on Monday after a convincing three-game sweep of Arizona this past weekend. Baltimore held the Diamondbacks to just four total runs in the series, ending a 2-6 stretch that threatened to snuff out their post-season hopes.
Baltimore has dropped four of their past six games against the Blue Jays, who hold a 9-7 edge in the season series and are 5-1 in the past six meetings between these clubs in Toronto, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.
Toronto has fallen a full six games back of the surging Boston Red Sox, and are in decline on the World Series odds, slipping to +1400 after peaking at +700 a month ago.
The first-place Red Sox await the Yankees in New York ahead of their three-game set that kicks off on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. The Blue Jays’ failed comeback against the Yankees on Monday leaves Boston poised to clinch the AL East with a win in New York on Tuesday.
Following 11 straight wins, the Red Sox now own the best record in the American League.
While the Blue Jays’ upcoming series with Boston represents an obstacle on their road to the post-season, it may also present an opportunity should the Red Sox clinch and elect to rest starters over the final games of the campaign.
The Blue Jays are 4-4 in eight meetings with Boston since taking four straight from the Red Sox earlier this season, and are 8-5 in their past 13 games at Fenway Park.
