Orioles vs Blue Jays Odds, Betting Lines, and Picks (Oct. 2)
- The Orioles face the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon
- Toronto is a heavy -335 favorite with Alek Manoah on the hill
- Read on for the odds, preview, and prediction
The Baltimore Orioles (52-108, 25-54 away) will be looking to play spoiler on Saturday as they take on the Toronto Blue Jays (89-71, 45-33 home) in the second-last game of the season. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:07pm ET at the Rogers Centre. Toronto won the series opener on Friday night by a score of 6-4 behind a tremendous start from Steven Matz.
Baltimore’s best arm in John Means will get the call, while Alek Manoah takes the mound for the Jays.
Orioles vs Blue Jays Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | +260 | +1.5 (+125) | Ov 8.5 (-120) |
| Toronto Blue Jays | -335 | -1.5 (-145) | Un 8.5 (+100) |
Odds as of October 1st at DraftKings.
Probable Pitchers
In an absolutely brutal year for the Orioles pitching staff, Means has been the lone bright spot. The lefty threw a no-hitter in May against the Mariners and has posted a 3.32 ERA in 25 starts. While his 6-8 record isn’t great, it’s simply because Means hasn’t received much run support when on the mound. Last time out, the 28-year-old tossed five innings against the Rangers, surrendering three earned runs while striking out eight.
In fact, he’s racked up 132 K’s in 143.2 innings this season while walking only 26 hitters. The month of September has been phenomenal for Means as well, compiling a sharp 2.76 ERA in five starts. Although they’re in the same division, he hasn’t faced the Blue Jays this season. But, in two outings in 2020, Means had an ERA just under three. As a lineup, Toronto is hitting a mere .125 off the southpaw. His ERA lowers all the way to 2.27 on the road, too.
Means vs Manoah
| 6-8 | Record | 8-2 |
| 3.32 | ERA | 3.35 |
| 143.1 | Innings Pitched | 104.1 |
| 132 | SO | 117 |
| 26 | BB | 39 |
Manoah has been solid for the Jays since coming up to the Majors in May. The hard-throwing righty has gone 8-2 with a 3.35 ERA in 19 starts while striking out 117 hitters in 104.2 innings. His last few outings have been absolutely stellar as well, throwing an eight-inning shutout against a dangerous Rays offense then allowing only two runs to them a week later. In his most recent appearance, Manoah tossed 5.2 frames and surrendered a mere two runs while racking up eight K’s against Minnesota.
Alek Manoah's 2Ks in the 1st (fastball & changeup). pic.twitter.com/UXf5ALrgJ1
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 26, 2021
However, the rookie has struggled against the Orioles this season. In two starts, he’s compiled a 4.82 ERA in only 9.1 innings, giving up four home runs in the process. Manoah does have a 2.47 ERA at home, which is definitely a reason for optimism in this massive game for Toronto in regards to their playoff hopes.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Blue Jays Hitters | Average vs Means |
|---|---|
| Cavan Biggio | .250 |
| Corey Dickerson | .250 |
| Randal Grichuk | .000 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr | .167 |
| Lourdes Gurriel Jr | .000 |
| Teoscar Hernandez | .333 |
| Danny Jansen | .000 |
| Alejandro Kirk | .000 |
| Marcus Semien | .500 |
| Breyvic Valera | .000 |
| Orioles Hitters | Average vs Manoah |
| Austin Hays | .000 |
| Trey Mancini | .000 |
| Ryan Mountcastle | .750 |
| Cedric Mullins | .400 |
| Pedro Severino | .000 |
| Austin Wynns | .000 |
The Orioles are basically playing the spoiler at this point. They took two of three from the Red Sox earlier this week, which definitely put a damper on Boston’s Wild Card aspirations at the time. Now, against Toronto, Baltimore has the chance to rain on their parade if a victory can be secured on Saturday behind their ace. Manoah is going to be a very tough arm for the O’s though, considering how dominant he is at home and their lack of success against the right-hander.
Toronto, unfortunately, lost two of three to the Yankees but they did bounce back on Friday with a crucial win over Baltimore. It was the bottom of the lineup that came up clutch in this one, with both Corey Dickerson and Danny Jansen going deep in two-hit nights. They were given a scare after going up 6-0, but Jordan Romano managed to come in and shut the door with a flawless ninth inning.
1) Throw a gem
2) Wear the jacket 👏💎 @Smatz88 💎 pic.twitter.com/XAGdsM6JBh
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 2, 2021
With the victory, the Blue Jays are still a game behind the Red Sox for the final Wild Card berth and half a game behind the Mariners. However, if Seattle wins, Toronto is basically in the same position. The Jays must win these last two games while hoping these three other teams in the race falter.
Orioles vs Jays Prediction
Even though Means is on the mound for the Orioles, this game is far too important for Toronto. Manoah has been very reliable and I think you’ll see a quality outing from him here. Take the Jays to cover the runline.
Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-145)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
