Red Sox vs. Blue Jays: Game 2, prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Boston Red Sox will look to secure back-to-back series wins Wednesday at Rogers Centre, following a dominant 10-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Tuesday's opener.

Lucas Giolito is set to make his long-awaited return, taking the mound for his first start since October 2023. Toronto appears to be going with a bullpen game regardless of this being Jose Berrios' turn in the rotation.

Red Sox vs. Blue Jays recent form and records

Boston

The Red Sox appear to have flipped the switch. Alex Cora's troops hit five home runs in the series opener with the Blue Jays, extending the team's current win streak to three games.

At 17-14 overall, Boston sits $44 in the red for MLB bettors and trails the New York Yankees by 1.5 games in the AL East pennant chase. However, it sits a game over .500 on the road where its 9-8 record has produced a modest $12 return on investment.

Toronto

The Blue Jays are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season, tallying one win in their last nine games to plummet in the AL East standings. Now three games under .500 overall, the team sits 4.5 games out of first place.

The fall from grace finds John Schneider on the verge of being fired with his team $263 in the red for MLB bettors. On the bright side, Toronto is $76 in the black at home, where it's won eight of 14 overall games.

Injuries

Boston

Connor Wong C 10 Day IL - Hand
Masataka Yoshida LF 10 Day IL - Shoulder
Richard Fitts SP 15 Day IL - Pectoral
Kutter Crawford SP 15 Day IL - Knee
Chris Murphy RP 60 Day IL - Elbow
Zach Penrod SP 60 Day IL - Elbow
Patrick Sandoval SP 60 Day IL - Elbow

Toronto

Nick Sandlin RP 15 Day IL - Back
Max Scherzer SP 15 Day IL - Lat
Erik Swanson RP 15 Day IL - Hand
Alek Manoah SP 60 Day IL - Elbow
Ryan Burr RP 60 Day IL - Shoulder
Angel Bastardo SP 60 Day IL - Elbow

Starting Pitchers

Lucas Giolito (8-15, 4.88 ERA in 2023)

Allowed 169 hits (41 HR) & 100 ER with a 204:73 K/BB ratio in 33 2023 starts.
2-3 with a 5.40 ERA & 41:11 K/BB ratio in 43.1 career IP thrown vs. the Blue Jays.

Must-Watch Hitters

Boston

With Boston's offense erupting for 30 runs in its last three games, there are a myriad of bats to look into when looking to attack player props in the second game of this series.

Rafael Devers is on a tear, hitting safely in five straight games with home runs launched in four consecutive outings. He's +475 to keep the streak alive tonight.

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Toronto

Selecting a hot Toronto bat has been tough—since plating six runs against Atlanta on April 15, the offense has failed to reach the five-run plateau in 11 straight games and only hit the four-run mark twice.

Bo Bichette has been a bright spot, hitting safely in six of his last seven games and recording multiple hits in three of his last four. Three of his five career hits off Giolito have gone for extra bases, including one home run.

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Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Betting Odds

Wednesday 4/30	Money Line	Run Line	Total Runs
Boston Red Sox	-118	-1.5 +136	O 9.5 -102
Toronto Blue Jays	-102	+1.5 -162	U 9.5 -118

Red Sox vs. Blue Jays expert picks and game prediction

Even with this being Lucas Giolito's first start since 2023, there's little reason to expect Toronto to generate enough offense to even the series. At a fair price on DraftKings Sportsbook, the better value lies with the Red Sox run-line at plus money, with Jarren Duran and his mates staring back at a bunch of bullpen arms.

Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Boston Wins 9-5

About the author

Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the University of Kansas with dreams of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and team physician. However, his career path took a different turn as he ventured into sports handicapping, writing, and editing.

While preparing for the MCAT, Mike applied to contribute to a site offering free sports picks, which proved to be a pivotal step. His success there garnered interest from larger platforms and startups. Despite his efforts, organic chemistry derailed his medical school ambitions, and he chose to shift fully into sports betting and fantasy sports content creation.

Over a 20-year career, Mike has navigated the highs and lows of professional sports betting. His experience spans working on a late-night sports talk radio show, covering the Chicago Rush in the Arena Football League, managing a content distribution company, owning and operating a vape shop, and creating one of the first profitable DFS affiliate sites—an endeavor that helped buy his current home.

When offline, Mike enjoys working out his green thumb, coaching his son’s sports teams, hosting tea parties with his daughter, and relaxing with his wife and friends. A die-hard Kansas Jayhawks fan, he also proudly bleeds Cubbie blue.

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Edited by Mike Rose