Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction, 5/20/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays

Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021

Location: TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL

TV: Sportsnet

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+105) Toronto (-135)

Nick Pivetta and the Boston Red Sox (25-18, 1st in AL East) travel to TD Ballpark on Thursday where they'll take on the Toronto Blue Jays (23-17, 2nd in AL East). The Red Sox open this matchup at +105 while the Blue Jays are priced at -135. The over/under opens at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers are Nick Pivetta and Steven Matz.

Boston has a slugging rate of .440 and have been called out on strikes 365 times, while drawing a walk on 120 occasions. They have accrued 198 RBI's and 381 hits on the campaign, while their team batting average sits at .261. The Red Sox have compiled 95 doubles as a unit and have hit 53 baseballs out of the park. They have accounted for 217 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .324. As a unit, the Boston Red Sox are scoring 5.1 runs per contest, which is 5th in the league.

Red Sox pitchers have conceded 31 home runs and also 180 total runs (15th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 140 players from the other team and their FIP comes in at 3.37 as a squad this year. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.86 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.30. The Red Sox are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.92 this year (14th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 400 hitters.

Red Sox bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 34 times and also have had 57 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have a total of 27 holds so far this season (5th in MLB). The Red Sox bullpen have a save rate of 63.2% and has stepped onto the mound in 46 save situations. They have recorded 12 saves on the year and have missed out on 7 of their 19 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 51 runners so far this year and 37.3% of those runners earned a run for their team. The Red Sox have sent 136 relief pitchers to the hill for the year.

The Boston Red Sox have a total of 1,138 putouts thus far, in addition to 391 assists and 29 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .981 which ranks 24th in pro baseball, and have 300 double plays. The Red Sox have transformed 66.6% of balls in play into outs out of 3,414 innings, which has them sitting at 29th in baseball.

Pivetta has pitched in 449 innings and has racked up 476 strikeouts in his career. His ERA is 5.19 (259 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.405. He has allowed 456 hits (9.1 hits per 9 innings) with 175 walks. Pivetta (26-30 career mark) holds a FIP of 4.52 while he has faced 1,942 opposing batters in the majors.

The Blue Jays have a team slugging % of .423 and they are scoring 5.00 runs per outing (6th in the league). They have put up 57 two-baggers, while taking a walk 117 times as well as scoring 200 runs. Toronto has a total of 57 home runs over the course of the season to go along with 188 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 337 occasions (26th in MLB) and have totaled 342 hits. The Toronto Blue Jays have an OBP of .317 in addition to a team batting average of .252 on the season.

The Toronto pitching staff have allowed 156 runs on the campaign and come in with a team ERA of 3.75 (145 earned runs conceded). They have conceded 50 home runs and they concede 4.03 runs per 9 innings (11th in MLB). The Blue Jays have a team WHIP of 1.244 and have a FIP of 4.12 as a unit for the year. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 3.02 (362 strikeouts vs 120 walks). They rank 12th in the league as a staff in total hits relinquished with 313.

With 38 save situations, the Blue Jays have recorded 24 holds and 3 blown saves. Toronto has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the hill in 12 save chances and they have come away with 9 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 46 times in high leverage situations and also on 47 occasions with base runners. Toronto bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 28.8% out of their 66 inherited runners. They rank 7th in baseball with a save rate of 75.0%, and they have dispatched 144 bullpen pitchers to the mound for the year.

The Toronto Blue Jays have twisted 40 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .985 (11th in baseball). The Blue Jays have recorded 369 assists, 22 errors and have notched a total of 1,046 putouts for the season. In 3,138 innings played, the Blue Jays have earned a efficiency on defense of 69.6% (16th in pro baseball).

So far in his career, Matz has allowed 626 hits while he has tallied 598 K's in 621 innings pitched. He has given up 300 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.317 and a FIP of 4.5. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.10 and he has gone up against 2,661 batters so far in his MLB career. Matz (36-43 career win-loss record) holds a 4.34 earned run average while allowing 9.1 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Toronto (-135)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here