.gif&AffUrlID=80){kind=small}
Toronto Blue Jays (1-1) +171 at New York Yankees (1-1) -171 9u15, 7:05 pm Eastern Thursday
by Zman of Predictem.com
AL East rivals play the rubber match in their season-opening series when the Toronto Blue Jays and Dustin McGowan go up against Phil Hughes and the New York Yankees Thursday night in The Bronx.
Baseball Sportsbooks list New York as -160 home favorites for Thursday's game, with an o/u of 9.
These two teams have split the first two games of this series; after getting weathered out on Monday, the Yanks won Tuesday 3-2 while Toronto came out on top 5-2 Wednesday. Both those games stayed under their totals, as thus far the Jays have scored seven runs on 18 hits while NY has tallied five runs on 15 hits.
Last year, the Yanks took the season series with Toronto 10 games to eight, with the o/u going 7-11, as the teams combined to average 9.4 runs per game when they hooked up.
The Blue Jays are slated to throw McGowan (12-10, 4.08 last year) Thursday against Hughes (5-3, 4.46 last season) for New York. But bettors should check for a late scratch for Toronto, as McGowan is reported to be fighting flu-like symptoms.
McGowan made four starts last year vs. the Yankees, allowing 14 ER and 31 baserunners (hits + walks) in 24 IP. The Jays won two of those four games, and the o/u went 1-3.
Hughes made three starts vs. Toronto last year, giving up 8 ER and 22 baserunners in 15 1/3 innings of work. The Yanks went 2-1 in those three games, and the o/u also went 2-1.
Toronto finished four games above .500 last season, but went just 34-47 on the road. Meanwhile, New York was a solid 52-29 in Yankee Stadium last year.
The Yankees led the majors last year with their .366 team OBP and 6.0 runs per game average. On the other side of this match-up, the Blue Jays ranked 23rd in the league last season with their .327 team OBP, and averaged 4.6 RPG.
Games played at Yankee Stadium last season averaged 11.1 RPG.
The Toronto bullpen ranked 3rd in the majors last season with its 3.50 ERA. In two games so far this year, Jays relievers have combined to hold New York scoreless over four innings. But Toronto is still without closer B.J. Ryan, who's working out some shoulder problems.
Also on the injury front, New York catcher Jorge Posada was scratched from Wednesday's game with a sore shoulder, and is uncertain for Thursday.
The Yankees bullpen ranked 22nd last year with a 4.37 ERA. In two games so far this season, New York relievers have allowed one ER and five baserunners in 5 1/3 IP.
The o/u went 67-91 in Jays games last season, while the totals went 79-72 in Yankees games.
Local forecasts call for chilly and overcast conditions Thursday night in New York, with an increasing chance of precipitation as the evening progresses.
Zman's Pick: I like the UNDER in tonight's game.
Editor's Picks - Free daily picks from our in-house umpire who grinds out profits by mostly playing underdogs.
Expert MLB Baseball Picks - Get free daily winning predictions from professional sports handicappers!
Dog of the Day - Each day we go to bat as your designated hitter and select what we believe to be the best underdog bet on the board!
Favorite of the Day - We'll predict the best favorite to bet on each day while trying to not get hit by a pitch! (The Vigorish)
Over/Under of the Day - Wagering on totals are underrated! There's a reason books have lower limits on them... because their easier to beat! We assess the wind, rain, umpire tendencies and a bunch of other variables in our quest to smash the bookie!
Line Movement - We're constantly on the phone in the dugout keeping an eye on line moves and steam plays. Is it public action or a steam play? Posted each afternoon by 5PM EST.
Consensus Picks - Check here daily to see what the public is betting and which games make good fades based on that information.
MLB Trends - Let the trend be your friend, but don't solely base your bet on it! MLB is one of few sports that trends actually have some value. We dig out the ones that "make cents."
Dimeline Sportsbooks - If your not betting at a sportsbook that offers dimlines your wasting money!
Overnight Lines - Bet on tomorrows games tonight. Get better value with opening lines and odds before the sharps hit them and suck the value out.
5Dimes - Offers 10 cent lines and college baseball betting!
Alternative Runlines - Also +2.5 runlines which turns MLB into a point spread sport!
Rules - Innings requirements, listed pitchers, action, rainouts, suspended games. We cover it all!
What is Whip in Baseball? - Ever seen the world WHIP associated with baseball stats? It's one of the most important factors in handicapping. Increase your winning percentage today by reading this article!
How do you Calculate ERA? - We've got the answer to a stat question asked by many.
How to Calculate Batting Average - We all know what it is but but how do you calculate it? Click and learn.
What is... - Answers to MANY questions regarding America's pastime and from around the diamond.
Famous Baseball Quotes - From Yogi Berra to Casey Stengel, we list some of the greatest words ever spoken on the diamond.