The Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays open their seasons with the 1st game of a 4-game set Thursday at Tropicana Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Blue Jays vs. Rays odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Rays won 7-6 last season
The Blue Jays won 89 games a season ago, and they did very good work on the road, winning 46 of 81. Toronto struggled inside the AL East, however, going just 21-31, which was a major reason it finished 12 games back of the 1st-place Baltimore Orioles.
The Rays rolled up 53 victories in 81 games at home, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most home victories in the majors. Tampa Bay posted a 31-21 mark inside the AL East, too, while winning 99 games, just 2 games back of the 1st-place O’s.