Blue Jays vs. Red Sox: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

The Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox square off on Friday with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Fenway Park in Boston, MA and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Kevin Gausman (6-7, 2.87 ERA) will throw for the Blue Jays, while Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 3.34 ERA) is starting for the Red Sox.

Toronto (50-43) went into the All-Star Break on a three-game winning streak with victories over the Kansas City Royals as they get ready for a battle for a Wild Card spot during the second half of the season. Gausman has a losing record somehow with such a low ERA, and the Blue Jays lost six of his last seven starts. The Blue Jays have the second-best batting average (.262), and Alejandro Kirk is hitting .315 to lead the team.

Boston (48-45) was crushed by the New York Yankees by a combined score of 27-3 in the final two games prior to the break, but the Red Sox are in a decent position to compete for a Wild Card spot over the next couple months. Eovaldi made one start since returning from the injured list and allowed 3 runs over 4.1 innings in a win over the Yankees. The Red Sox rank fourth in batting average (.256), and Rafael Devers is hitting .324 with a team-high 22 home runs.

Blue Jays vs. Red Sox

Pitchers: Kevin Gausman vs. Nathan Eovaldi
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Blue Jays local broadcast: Sportsnet
Red Sox local broadcast: NESN
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Blue Jays -1.5 (+135)
Run total: 8.5
Moneyline odds: Blue Jays -125, Red Sox +105

Moneyline pick: Blue Jays -125

These are two above-average offenses with strong pitchers on the mound Friday night, but the Blue Jays have a slight advantage in both areas. It is tough to trust Eovaldi considering he has made just one start since June 8. Meanwhile, Gausman allowed just 4 runs over his last four starts, a span of 21 innings of work.

Player prop pick: Kevin Gausman Over 5.5 strikeouts (-135)

The Blue Jays starter has developed into a strong strikeout thrower over the last few seasons, and he has a 10.1 K/9 through 17 starts in 2022. Gausman has done a solid job of going deep into games, and there’s a good chance he gets to 6 K’s on Friday night.

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