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The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 9:38 p.m. EST. The game takes place at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Hyun Jin Ryu gets the start on the mound for the Blue Jays, while Shohei Ohtani gets the nod for the Angels.
The Blue Jays had some high expectations heading into this season. After starting the season off pretty well, they’ve been average. Sitting at 23-20 right now, they are 7.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Santiago Espinal has been the Blue Jays best hitter for average as he’s hitting .284. George Springer has played well this year too, as he is hitting .272 with eight home runs and 25 runs batted in. Hyun Jin Ryu has been great since returning from the IL. In his last two games, Ryu has pitched 10.2 innings allowing just one earned run,
After a few disappointing seasons, the Angels look like they have a legitimate shot at being a contender. While everybody knows how good Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are, Taylor Ward has been the big surprise for Los Angeles this season. In 108 at-bats, Ward is hitting .370 with nine home runs and 23 runs batted in. Ohtani had his first stellar pitching season in the MLB last year. This season, he picked up right where he left off. In seven starts, Ohtani is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 53 strikeouts.
Blue Jays vs. Angels
Pitchers: Hyun Jin Ryu vs. Shohei Ohtani
First pitch: 9:38 p.m. EST
Blue Jays local broadcast: Bally Sports Southwest
Angels local broadcast: Bally Sports West
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Point spread: Angels -1.5
Run total: 7.5
Moneyline odds: Los Angeles -165, Toronto +145
Moneyline pick: Angels -165
Betting against Shohei Ohtani is extremely tough. This should be a great matchup as both of these pitchers are capable of going 7+ scoreless. Coming off a loss, I do expect the Angels offense to have a bounce-back game. Personally, I would stay away from betting either side in this one, but the Angels are the better bet.
Player prop pick: Matt Chapman over 1.5 total bases (+200)
While he’s struggled a ton this season, this is a great play at plus money. In his career versus Ohtani, Chapman is 4-12 with two home runs and four runs batted in. Chapman has hit 10 home runs in 37 games at Angel Stadium, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he puts one out.
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