Blue Jays, Mariners American League Best Bets for August 9

There are multiple games today beginning later this afternoon on the American League schedule, and there’s value to target in these spots. Below, you can find both games from the American League and some of our best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.

Toronto Blue Jays (-158) vs. Baltimore Orioles (+134) Total: 8.5 (O -118, U -104)

The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles will continue a three-game series tonight from Camden Yards. The O’s opened the series last night with a 7-4 victory, with these two teams still having 14 meetings down the stretch, including tonight’s tilt, which should have significant implications in the AL Wild Card picture. The Blue Jays currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the American League, while the Orioles sit one game back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the third Wild Card position. The home side has posted a 7-3 record over their past ten games, while the visitors are 5-5 over that same sample size. The most significant difference between these two AL East foes right now is in run differential, with the Blue Jays having a +61, while the O’s are at just +7. 

Pitching is something that the Blue Jays should have an edge in this series over the next two games, with their most consistent arm set to take the hill tonight. Alek Manoah, a top contender for the AL Cy Young, heads to the bump, while the O’s are set to counter with Kyle Bradish. Manoah has posted a 12-5 record with a 2.45 ERA and 119 strikeouts, while Bradish is 1-4 with a 6.55 ERA and 58 punchouts. Manoah has already made one dominant start against the Orioles, which saw him pitch six shutout innings while striking out seven batters. With the inconsistencies that Bradish had brought to the table this season, it’s hard to have a ton of confidence in what the Orioles are offering tonight, even after coming off a victory in yesterday night’s game. 

The Blue Jays lost the opener yesterday, but it would be hard to find a better pitching matchup for them to bounce back in than the one that’s set to take center stage tonight. There’s not much value with the visitors on the moneyline, where they own odds of -158, but things get a lot more interesting if you look towards the top Wild Card team in the AL on the run line, which currently has a decent value price at -102. 

Best Bet: Blue Jays run line (-102)

The New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners will play Game 2 of a three-game series tonight from T-Mobile Park. The Yankees kicked off the series with a dominant 9-4 victory, and they’ll look to build off that win tonight with a solid pitching matchup on tap. The Bronx Bombers currently lead the AL East by 10.5 games, while the Mariners hold a slight advantage over the Orioles for the third Wild Card position in the American League. Even with the Yanks so far ahead in the AL East, they have a 4-6 record over their past ten games, while the Mariners are 5-5 over that same stretch. This matchup’s total is set at seven, which shouldn’t be a surprise with two high-caliber arms set to take the bump.

This pitching matchup occurred six days ago, which saw the M’s pick up a big victory over the Yanks. Gerrit Cole of the visitors will be tasked with taking on the Mariners again, while Luis Castillo will make his second straight start against New York. Cole has posted a 9-4 record with a 3.56 ERA and 170 strikeouts, while Castillo is 5-4 with a 2.95 ERA and 98 punchouts. When these two teams faced off on August 3, Cole pitched six innings and was roughed up in allowing six earned runs, while Castillo pitched into the seventh and allowed three earned runs while striking out eight. It’s been a struggle of late for Cole and the Yankees, and there’s the potential for them to continue spiraling tonight on the road. 

With the recent struggles of Cole and the promising prospects of Castillo, there’s value in the home side. The M’s are currently sitting with plus-money value on the moneyline at +116, and that’s going to be a difficult price to pass up on tonight’s American League slate of games. 

Best Bet: Mariners moneyline (+116)