Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 3/29/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Friday, March 29, 2024

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Sportsnet

Odds/Point Spread: Toronto (-110) Tampa Bay (-110)

The Tampa Bay Rays (99-63 last season) are hosting the Toronto Blue Jays (89-73 last year) at Tropicana Field on Friday. The line on this matchup has the Blue Jays at -110 and the Rays are priced at -110. The total comes in at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers are Chris Bassitt and Aaron Civale.

The Blue Jays compiled 292 doubles as a squad and hit 188 balls out of the park. Toronto had a slugging percentage of .417 and were called out on strikes 1,303 times, while taking a walk on 550 occasions. As a unit, the Toronto Blue Jays earned 4.6 runs per outing, which had them sitting at 15th in baseball. They amassed 706 RBI's in addition to 1,424 hits last season, and their team batting average was at .256. They tallied 746 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .329.

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The Blue Jays had an earned run average of 3.78 in the prior season (4th in the league), and their staff struck out 1,528 hitters. Blue Jays pitchers allowed 198 long balls and also 671 total runs (6th in the league). Their pitching staff walked 488 opposing hitters and their FIP was 4.06 as a team in the prior season. Toronto surrendered 1,326 base knocks (8.2 per 9 innings) as well as 610 earned runs. They earned a K/BB ratio of 3.13 and the pitching staff had a team WHIP of 1.25.

Blue Jays relief pitchers went to the mound with runners on base 166 times and also had 192 outings in high leverage situations. The bullpen had a total of 106 holds for the previous season (2nd in the league). The Blue Jays relievers had a save rate of 73.9% and stepped onto the mound in 175 save situations. They recorded 51 saves over the course of the prior season and missed out on 18 of their 69 save opportunities. The bullpen inherited 236 base runners over the course of last year with 22.9% of those players crossed home plate. The Blue Jays dispatched 550 relief pitchers to the mound during the previous year.

The Toronto Blue Jays earned a total of 4,355 putouts in the previous season, as well as 1,307 assists and 71 errors. Their fielding percentage held at .988 which put them in 6th in professional baseball, and they turned 125 double plays. The Blue Jays converted 69.3% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 13,065 innings, which had them sitting 16th in the majors.

Bassitt has taken the mound for 937 innings and has tallied 857 K's so far in his pro baseball career. His ERA is 3.49 (363 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.192. He has surrendered 830 base hits (8.0 hits per 9 innings) and has had 287 walks. Bassitt (62-42 career win-loss record) sits with a FIP of 3.91 while going up against 3,916 hitters in the majors.

The Rays held a team SLG% of .445 and they scored 5.31 runs per outing (4th in baseball). They recorded 282 doubles, while taking a walk 514 times as well as racking up 860 runs. Tampa Bay had a total of 230 HRs over the course of last season in addition to 827 RBIs. They were rung up on 1,420 occasions (13th in MLB) and accounted for 1,432 hits. The Tampa Bay Rays accumulated a team on-base percentage of .331 as well as a batting average of .260 in the previous season.

The Rays had a WHIP of 1.178 in addition to having a FIP of 3.81 as a staff over the course of last season. They had a ranking of 2nd in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,259. The Tampa Bay pitching staff given up 665 runs over the course of the prior season while having a team ERA of 3.86 (619 earned runs yielded). They had a K/BB ratio of 9.40 (1,507 strikeouts vs 439 walks). They yielded 177 dingers and they gave up 4.15 runs per 9 innings (5th in the league).

Ending the season with 155 save situations, the Rays earned 78 holds in addition to 31 blown saves. Tampa Bay had bullpen pitchers step onto the hill in 76 save opportunities and they walked away with 45 saves. Their relievers came in 163 times in high leverage situations in addition to 121 occasions with runners on. Tampa Bay relievers had an inherited score rate of 28.4% out of 183 inherited base runners. They ranked 20th in the league with a save rate of 59.2%, and they sent 536 bullpen pitchers to the mound last year.

Out of their 12,978 innings played, the Rays had a defensive efficiency of 70.3% (5th in pro baseball). The Tampa Bay Rays had 114 double plays and had a fielding percentage of .987 (9th in the majors). The Rays racked up 1,401 assists, 74 errors and accumulated 4,326 putouts over the course of the prior season.

Civale (31-26 career record) has earned a 3.92 earned run average while giving up 8.3 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.63 and he has faced 1,948 batters during his MLB career. He has conceded a total of 207 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.165 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.0. In his career, Civale has surrendered 436 base hits while tallying 428 strikeouts in 475 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Toronto (-110)

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