Blue Jays And Giants Have Suspiciously Low Total

Blue Jays vs. Giants, 9:45 ET

I made a big point yesterday about how I was looking to start a new streak and find a way to get back to the dominance that I had through the end of May. June wasn't terrible, but it was certainly the worst month of the season. Yesterday was not a start of a streak, or a bad thing. I had two plays and went 1-1 in the two plays. It ended up being essentially a wash because the win was a +120 and the loss was a -125. I once again got a Miles Mikolas game wrong, so if I bet him again this season, just fade me. Tonight I'm looking to try and put a bet on the Blue Jays and Giants, and maybe we can get this hot streak going.

I've talked quite a bit about the Blue Jays lately because they are one of the more intriguing teams in the league. They are 41-49 which isn't ideal for where they want to be this season, and they are coming to a crossroads of deciding what they want to do. They could keep the roster and see if they can make offseason additions or changes. Or, they could trade some players and find a way to figure out if they want to completely abandon this season and potentially build a new team for the franchise. Even with the losing record they have a number of players that would interest opposing teams. Some of those players, like Vlad Guererro Jr., have started performing very well right now and that makes them more attractive to other teams, but also more attractive to keep long term for the franchise as a cornerstone. They actually have three starters that they could trade away if they want to blow up the team completely. One of them, Yusei Kikuchi, starts tonight. Kikuchi has been solid this season with a 4-8 record, 4.12 ERA, and a 1.31 WHIP. While none of those numbers jump off the page in a good or bad way, they still are good enough to help position a playoff push. June was a tough month for Kikuchi as he allowed four earned runs or more in four of the six starts. He allowed 19 earned runs over 27.1 innings overall during the month. In one July start, he allowed two earned runs over 5.2 innings. Both Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler have hit Kikuchi well and both have two homers off of him in their careers. Overall, only four hitters have seen Kikuchi and they are 11-for-35 combined.

Giants LHP Blake Snell throws a pitch vs. the Nationals at Oracle Park in San Francisco. (Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports)

The Giants are somewhat similar to the Blue Jays as they are under .500, but they are significantly closer to getting over the hump than Toronto. Right now, the Giants are 44-47 for the season and have been much better at home with a 25-19 record. I would imagine that they are going to try and add to their team at the deadline, but it is hard to tell. The National League has many teams hovering around .500, and many of them still have to consider themselves as playoff contenders because there are three Wild Card spots available. The Giants are a very streaky team to begin with, and one good streak in the next few weeks could push them to investing further into the team. Conversely, a bad streak could push the team to sell off pieces. One investment they made into the team already is Blake Snell. To this point in the season, Snell has not been a good addition to the team. In fairness to him, he has dealt with injuries and only made six starts for the year. On the season, he has allowed 25 earned runs over 23.2 innings. He hasn't thrown five complete innings this season and I am not sure that he will get there in tonight's game either. His last start was June 2nd, but he allowed three earned runs over 4.2 innings against the Yankees. He has not pitched against the Blue Jays this season, but they are 17-for-74 against him, with only three extra-base hits.

Neither team is that offensively gifted this season, but this total seems suspiciously low at just seven runs. Snell hasn't shown any indication that he is in the same form as last year's Cy Young winning season. Kikuchi pitched well in his last start, but he pitched very poorly in June. I do think the Blue Jays win this game, but I can't pass up the over. Even with two pitchers capable of putting together good performances, I am going to back the over 7.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024