8th Oct - Blue Jays vs Rangers

Okay, let’s cut straight to the chase. We really do not like this match-up for the Texas Rangers. Not just in this match-up, but for the entire series. It feels like a clash between two teams that do similar things well, the difference is that the Blue Jays just do everything slightly better.

For the Rangers, they needed three attempts to lock up the AL West division, suffering twice at the hands of ninth inning comebacks from the LA Angels. Still, their hitting, led by Adrian Beltre, was unparalleled down the stretch run and their pitching staff is under-rated.

In Yovani Gallardo, they have a pitcher with some confidence going up against this fierce-some Blue Jays line-up. He has two wins and he’s given up no runs and just six hits across 13 innings in two starts. However, he’s just 13-11 on the season, while not managing to get through the sixth inning in any of his last seven starts.

It’s a different story on the other mound, where you have David Price, one of the Cy Young award contenders. He’s saved his best stuff for Toronto transforming this rotation and going 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers during the last week of July.

Throw in a middle order that features 30+ home-run and 100+ RBI men in Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion and this is a tough match-up.

Three Reasons for Betting Tips

1. Price kick-starts Blue Jays

Price is the pitcher that kick-starts this Toronto team and we expect it to be the same in the postseason. He’ll lead off with another strong outing in front of the Blue Jays home crowd on Thursday.

2. Home advantage

Speaking of that home crowd, expect Toronto’s fan base to enthralled by a return to the postseason for the first time since the early 90s. They’ll be hoping that the result is the same as last time, we expect them to be noisy and to give the Blue Jays a big advantage in game one.

3. Gallardo

He’s had a good season, but if he doesn’t pitch through six innings, then he’s putting a lot of pressure on the Rangers’ bullpen against this order. We’re not convinced that they’ll have answer in this particular match-up.