The Toronto Blue Jays are surging ahead of their weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels.
The pregame narrative: Toronto leads the AL East after a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees. The team’s top performer during the series, George Springer, is on an absolute tear and is in a nice spot to continue his dominant ways at the plate.
Check out my Angels vs. Blue Jays picks for July 4, featuring Springer and Eric Lauer.
Angels vs. Blue Jays picks
Best Bet: Springer over 1.5 hits (+280)
Springer is on one right now, and I’m looking to jump on any way I can.
He’s +110 to top his 1.5 total bases prop line, which is another wager I have no problem with. But when somebody is hitting as well as Springer is, I’m willing to look for a prop like this one that provides some juicier odds.
For those unaware of just how well he is hitting the ball these days, check out his numbers across his last 10 games:
- .514 batting average
- .943 SLG
- 1.528 OPS
- 33 total bases
Springer is averaging 3.3 total bases per game over this stretch, thanks to his 18 hits and five home runs.
He’s facing Angels starter Kyle Hendricks, and he certainly isn’t pitching well enough to shake me off Springer.
Hendricks enters tonight’s game with an underwhelming 4.66 ERA and 4.88 FIP. He also has a first-percentile fastball velo (86.3), per Baseball Savant, that should present some very hittable pitches to Springer.
The Blue Jays slugger’s combination of above-average bat speed (68th percentile) and elite power (96th percentile xSLG) should help him deliver on this plus-money prop.
Key stat: Springer has two-plus hits in seven of his last 11 outings.
Quick pick
Lauer over 5.5 strikeouts (+120): This number is a little outside Lauer’s comfort zone, but there are a couple of reasons to expect an above-average performance.
Firstly, Lauer has performed well since transitioning fully into a starting role. He combines a 3.32 ERA with a 3.88 FIP across his last four starts while averaging 5.25 strikeouts per outing.
He’s only topped this mark once during this stretch, but Los Angeles’ swing-happy bats provide reason for optimism.
The Angels rank 29th in strikeouts per game this season (9.79). They’ve been even worse recently, averaging 11.33 punchouts per contest across their last three.
Lauer isn’t an elite strikeout guy, but he does have an above-average strikeout rate (69th percentile).
Blue Jays picks made at 10:19 a.m. ET on 07/04/2025.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.