New York Yankees (55-37) +110, o/u 9 at TorontoBlueJays (52-42), 7 p.m. Eastern, ESPN
by Ultimatecapper.com Staffwriter Darin Z.
The Toronto Blue Jays have a chance to prove they’re a little more than just the third-best team in their division when they host the New York Yankees for a four-game series beginning Thursday night at Rogers Centre.
New York, which had a five-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night, sits in second place in the AL East, a game and a half behind the division-leading Boston Red Sox.
Toronto, which just dropped two of three games to the Texas Rangers, lurks in third place in the AL East, four games back of the Yankees and 5 ½ games behind the Sox.
New York has won three of five games with the Blue Jays so far this season. The Yankees won the season series with the Jays last year 12 games to six.
New York is 24-19 on the road this year, and 6-7 as underdogs.
Toronto is 32-20 at home this season, and 35-22 as favorites.
Mike Mussina (11-3, 3.30) gets the start for the Yanks in the series opener Thursday night. Mussina has allowed 6 ER and 15 H+W in his last 16 IP. New York is a solid 14-6 in Mussina’s starts this season, the over/under 11-7.
Mussina has made four starts vs. Toronto over the last two seasons, giving up 13 ER on 35 H+W in 23 IP.
Toronto counters with Roy Halladay (12-2, 3.06) Thursday. Halladay has held opponents to 5 ER and 23 H+W in his last 20 2/3 IP. The Jays are a wonderful 16-3 in Halladay’s starts this year, the o/u 10-8.
Halladay has started twice over the last two seasons vs. the Yankees, holding the best lineup in baseball without a run in 14 1/3 innings of work.
New York owns a .361 team OBP this season, 2nd-best in the AL, and is averaging 5.6 runs per game.
Toronto owns a .359 team OBP, 3rd-best in the league, and is averaging 5.3 RPG.
The Yanks bullpen has limited foes to just 1 ER and 16 H+W in its’ last 14 IP.
The Blue Jays bullpen has allowed 8 ER and 28 H+W in its’ last 19 1/3 innings of work.
New York C Jorge Posada missed Wednesday’s game with an injured finger/hand, and is listed as questionable for Thursday.
Toronto slugger Troy Glaus has missed his team’s last three games, but is listed as probable for Thursday. The Jays also removed IF Shea Hillenbrand, who was hitting .301 with 12 HRs, from their team Wednesday.
The o/u is 47-44 in Yankees games this year, 48-39 in Jays games, and 26-21 at Rogers Centre. Games played at the Rogers Centre this season are averaging 10.3 RPG. Last season, Toronto home games averaged 9.3 RPG, and in 2004 they averaged 10.2 RPG.
If you bet baseball underdogs you should see the prices at
Bdg
! Very tasty!
The Ultimatecapper Pickage: All we have to say is that this isone hell of a pitching matchup! There's not a ton of value in this gamebut if we had to take a side we'd be with the Yankees.
