Cubs vs Cardinals, Blue Jays vs Rays and More Series Prices – September 27
- The Tampa Bay Rays aim to nail down an AL wild card spot as they visit Toronto as -250 favorites
- Blue Jays are enjoying a 10-5 run, and have posted three straight home series wins over AL East rivals
- The St. Louis Cardinals hope to clinch first place in the NL Central as they host the Chicago Cubs as -260 favorites
Postseason positioning has yet to be determined, leading to an important final weekend of the MLB season.
In the AL, the Tampa Bay Rays look to lock up a wild card spot as they visit the surging Toronto Blue Jays, while over in the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals aim to finish atop the NL Central standings as they host the Chicago Cubs.
We have odds for each of these new series as well as every other series kicking off on Friday.
Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays Prices
Team | Odds |
---|---|
Tampa Bay Rays | -250 |
Toronto Blue Jays | +210 |
*Odds taken 09/27/19
Rays Poised to Clinch AL Wild Card Spot in Toronto
The Tampa Bay Rays will be looking to extend their current win streak to four games as they continue their bid for an AL wild card with a season-ending three-game weekend series in Toronto.
Tampa is coming off a decisive two-game sweep of the New York Yankees, in which they surrendered just one total run. The club has won six of seven, lifting them to two games up on the Cleveland Indians in the wild card race, and reduce their magic number to two going into the weekend.
#Rays beat #Yankees again, 4-0. Tampa Bay sweeps New York to wrap up regular season play at Tropicana Field.
The record is 95-64. Season high 31 games over .500.
What’s left: 3 games in Toronto. It will be a crazy weekend in the AL. Get wild. pic.twitter.com/mcXGkhpVXa
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) September 26, 2019
The Rays have dominated the Blue Jays this season, posting wins in 12 of 16 meetings to date, including four of six contests at Rogers Centre. Tampa Bay outscored Toronto by a wide 24-10 margin during a four-game sweep earlier this month, but have seen four of their past five meetings in Toronto settled by two or fewer runs.
Overall, the Rays have struggled on the road down the stretch, going 7-9 in their past 16, and have surrendered 6.92 runs per game over their past 13 road dates.
Rays vs Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers
Tyler Glasnow | September 27 | T.J. Zeuch |
TBD | September 28 | Trent Thornton |
TBD | September 29 | Clay Buchholz |
The Blue Jays have played steady ball since being swept in Tampa Bay earlier this month. The club has posted wins in ten of their past 15 outings, and opened their season-ending home stand earlier this week by taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles.
Toronto has impressed in recent contests on home turf, going 6-3 in the club’s past nine, also claiming series victories over the Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
If Bo Bichette (concussion) gets the green light to return to action this season – and that’s a BIG if – I’m told best case scenario, Bichette DH’s Sunday vs #RaysUp. You can understand why the #BlueJays are in no hurry to see him return.
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) September 25, 2019
However, when the Blue Jays have lost, they have lost big, getting outscored by a wide 46-16 margin in their five recent losses. The club has also been beset by injuries down the stretch. Lourdes Gurriel is gone for the season with an upper body injury, while the status of promising rookies Bo Bichette and Anthony Kay remains uncertain entering the weekend.
Pick: Blue Jays (+210)
Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals Prices
Team | Odds |
---|---|
Chicago Cubs | +220 |
St. Louis Cardinals | -260 |
Cardinals Poised to Clinch NL Central vs Cubs
The St. Louis Cardinals remain in a dogfight with the Milwaukee Brewers for top spot in the NL Central as they play host to the Chicago Cubs in a three-game weekend series at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals failed to help their own cause by closing out a three-game series in Arizona this week with a pair of losses, including a 3-2 loss on Tuesday that took 19 innings to decide.
That ended a six-game win streak that included a four-game sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and assured St. Louis of a postseason berth.
Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in 19 innings. Game lasted 6 hours and 53 minutes. Longest regular season game in terms of time since Orioles-Rays in 2013. pic.twitter.com/Q4fPKnl3Hx
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) September 25, 2019
The Cardinals must now overcome a middling run on home turf down the stretch. The club has gone 6-5 over their past 11 home dates, but still managed to claim victory in two of three series during that stretch. Run production has also emerged as a concern down the stretch, with Cardinals hitters tallying three or fewer runs in eight of the Cardinals’ past 17 contests.
Cubs vs Cardinals Probable Starting Pitchers
Alec Mills | September 27 | Dakota Hudson |
Cole Hamels | September 28 | Adam Wainwright |
TBD | September 29 | TBD |
The Cubs arrive in St. Louis mired in a nine-game losing streak that has taken them out of postseason contention for the first time since 2014. The club travels to St. Louis after being brutalized in a three-game series in Pittsburgh, where they were outscored by a wide 22-9 margin while getting swept by the Pirates.
Kyle Hendricks is at a loss for words over the #Cubs current losing streak, which has all but eliminated them from postseason contention. pic.twitter.com/8HmQVp81Mi
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) September 25, 2019
Chicago’s struggles against the Pirates continues a season-long run of futility on the road, where the Cubs gone 31-47 this season, including a dismal 10-20 record since the MLB All-Star Break. With the Cardinals setting their sights on the postseason, and Chicago looking clearly demoralized during the club’s September swoon, it is tough to see them rebounding on the final weekend of the season.
Pick: Cardinals (-260)
Additional MLB Series Odds
Team | Odds |
---|---|
Cleveland Indians | -155 |
Washington Nationals | +135 |
Team | Odds |
New York Yankees | -370 |
Texas Rangers | +310 |
Team | Odds |
Milwaukee Brewers | -240 |
Colorado Rockies | +200 |
Team | Odds |
Los Angeles Dodgers | -230 |
San Francisco Giants | +200 |