The Toronto Blue Jays are in action on Tuesday, searching for a 10th straight win.
The pregame narrative: Toronto took yesterday’s series opener against the Chicago White Sox, 8-4, and is a heavy road favourite behind Chris Bassitt. Chicago counters with Aaron Civale, who has yet to win in a White Sox uniform.
Check out my Blue Jays picks vs. White Sox for July 8, featuring Nathan Lukes and Bo Bichette.
Blue Jays picks vs. White Sox
Best Bet: Lukes to score (-117)
I was debating backing George Springer, Toronto’s No. 2 hitter, to score, but couldn’t do it at -143 odds.
This seems like a much better option, given Lukes’ recent form, and the fact that he’s hitting leadoff ahead of guys like Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Addison Barger.
- Lukes is slashing .409/.500/.636 over his last seven games.
- In that span, he’s scored eight runs and is 6-1 against this line.
- The left-batting utilityman also has a noticeable platoon advantage, with a .389 OBP vs. RHP and a .294 OBP vs. LHP.
Civale got traded to the White Sox in mid-June and has lowered his ERA by 31 points to 4.60 over four starts. But he’s still giving up a ton of baserunners (34 in 21.0 IP), and should get punished by Toronto’s lineup.
The Jays have seen a lot of Civale from his days with the Tampa Bay Rays and have dominated him.
Key stat: Toronto’s current lineup owns a .297 batting average and .344 xBA against Civale in 64 combined at-bats.
Quick pick
Bichette to record an RBI (+108): Bichette bats cleanup for Toronto, which is a nice RBI production spot when the lineup is hitting like it has been.
And if guys ahead of him can get aboard, he should be able to tee off on Civale.
- Bichette is 4-for-16 against Civale with a home run. His xBA (.421) and xSLG (.776) in those at-bats indicate he’s left a lot on the table.
- The shortstop is on a four-game hitting streak, with an RBI in three of those contests.
Bichette is the definition of a free swinger. His 13th percentile walk rate (5.0%) and 11th percentile chase rate (35.5%) mean he’s always looking to put the ball in play.
And that doesn’t mean he strikes out a ton, either. His 16.3% K rate ranks in the 78th percentile and is the best mark of his career.
That’s what I want when targeting a player to drive in runs.
Blue Jays picks were made at 8:46 a.m. ET on 07/08/2025.
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.