The red-hot Toronto Blue Jays open up a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre on Friday.
The pregame narrative: Toronto just swept the New York Yankees to take sole possession of the AL East, and is favoured to extend its winning streak to six games tonight. Eric Lauer (2.60 ERA) gets the ball for the Jays opposite Kyle Hendricks (4.66 ERA).
Check out my Angels vs. Blue Jays predictions for July 4, featuring Addison Barger and Jo Adell.
Angels vs. Blue Jays predictions
SGP: Blue Jays ML | Barger over 1.5 bases | Adell 1+ hits (+410)
Blue Jays ML (-159): Vibes are high in Toronto right now.
The Blue Jays just obliterated the Yankees over a four-game set, scoring 36 runs (9.0/game) and covering a -1.5 run line three times.
Toronto is now 7-1 in its last eight games while averaging 7.12 runs per game — I say the good times keep rolling, especially given the pitching mismatch tonight.
Lauer has been a pleasant surprise for the Jays, posting a 3.32 ERA since being moved to the starting rotation. The Angels have the second-worst batting average (.219) and highest K rate (28.0%) vs. LHP this season.
Hendricks, meanwhile, has a middling ERA and struggles to miss bats (ninth-percentile K rate).
He’s generally good at generating soft contact, but the Jays are mashing the ball right now, and I expect that to continue.
MLB SGP legs
Barger over 1.5 bases (+114): Barger is the left-hitting power bat that the Jays have needed for years.
- The 25-year-old has gone deep in consecutive games, bringing his season-long slash line up to .272/.332/.521.
- His .562 SLG vs. RHP is the 16th-best mark in MLB among qualified hitters.
- Barger has an extra-base hit in five of his last seven outings.
Hendricks sports a 79th percentile walk rate in addition to having a very low K rate, meaning Barger will have opportunities to put the ball in play.
Adell over 0.5 hits (-182): Backing Adell to record a knock more than doubles this parlay’s value from +190 to +410. And with the way he’s playing, that sounds like a steal:
- Adell is currently batting .364 during a 14-game hit streak.
- The right-hitting outfielder is also batting .364 against LHP over the last 30 days.
Lauer has been good but not perfect since entering Toronto’s rotation. He gave up seven hits in 4.1 IP against the Boston Red Sox in his last start, and can definitely be hit.
Angels vs. Blue Jays predictions made at 11:15 a.m. ET on 07/04/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.