American League East foes are set to battle this evening at Rogers Centre. The Red Sox (64-54) have hit a bit of a speed bump, losing three straight games. Boston will attempt to get back on track tonight, but that could prove difficult. The Blue Jays (57-63) will be handing the ball to ace Dylan Cease on Tuesday. Toronto, just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot, needs every win it can get going forward.
The Blue Jays are favorites (-136) over the Red Sox; the over/under is set at seven runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Tuesday’s showdown between Boston and Toronto on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays pick, best bet today
- Red Sox vs. Blue Jays under seven runs (-110): Cease’s presence on the mound makes it nearly impossible to back the Red Sox on the moneyline tonight. With that being said, Toronto’s terrible lineup can’t be trusted either. Expect a low-scoring affair north of the border this evening.
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays prediction, preview
A deep Boston pitching staff will turn to a relatively unproven name tonight in Patrick Sandoval. Granted, the seventh-year pro has plenty of experience, dating back to his tenure with the Angels. However, due to injury issues, he’s thrown just 24.0 innings since 2025. Through five starts this season, he’s notched a 3.38 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 25 strikeouts (9.4 K/9). The hurler has allowed a total of four earned runs over his last three appearances (2.45 ERA). However, a knack for giving up base hits (11.3 H/9) doesn’t bode well for Sandoval’s chances going forward.
The Blue Jays have been an absolute mess at the plate, ranking 29th in runs scored (471), 28th in home runs (115) and 30th in OPS (.679). Only three members of the active roster (min. 200 plate appearances) have a wRC+ above 100. However, this group does have a knack for putting bat on ball, which could generate extra base runners tonight. As previously mentioned, Sandoval has given up plenty of base hits. With that being said, Toronto is responsible for an MLB-worst .621 OPS vs. left-handed pitching. Sandoval tossed 4.2 scoreless, five-hit innings against the Jays back on July 24th.
As for the Blue Jays, it’ll be Dylan Cease on the bump this evening. At this point, the right-hander deserves mention among the sport’s best arms. He comes into Tuesdays game with a 2.28 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 184 strikeouts over 126.1 innings pitched (21 starts). Even more impressive, the 30-year-old leads the American League in K/9 (13.0), HR/9 (0.5) and H/9 (5.7) ratios. Over his last 22.0 innings of work, the All-Star has allowed just one earned run. Per Savant, Cease sits within the 95th percentile or better in xERA (2.70), xBA (.188), whiff rate (34.9%) and strikeout rate (36.4%).
This will be quite the challenge for the visitors tonight. Granted, the Red Sox have shown major improvement offensively over the past month. Still, they come into this one in the midst of a mini-slump. To boot, the squad has the second-lowest OPS on the road against right-handed pitching (.661). When Cease last met Boston on July 25th, at Fenway Park, he delivered a nine-inning, 12-strikeout, one-run gem. On the year, he’s delivered a 1.83 ERA over three meetings with the Sox. Cease’s favorite off-speed pitch is the slider, which he’s thrown 30% of the time. Against that offering, Boston hitters own a .222 expected batting average.
Best Bet: Red Sox vs. Blue Jays under seven runs (-110)
Cease has been nothing short of dominant, especially when facing Boston’s inconsistent lineup. Sandoval is more of a wildcard, but he’s had success against the Blue Jays before. It helps that Toronto sits near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. With two talented arms taking the hill, it’s difficult to envision a ton of runs tonight.
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