Astros vs. Blue Jays Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 4/22/2022

The Houston Astros (6-6) are set to take on the Toronto Blue Jays (8-5) Friday at 8:10 PM ET. The Astros are listed as -167 favorites by sportsbooks, while the underdog Blue Jays have +145 odds for the contest. Houston’s Justin Verlander gets the start, and he’ll go against Toronto’s Ross Stripling.

Astros vs. Blue Jays Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Astros vs. Blue Jays

Our computer pick: Toronto Blue Jays (+145) and Over (8.5)

Astros vs. Blue Jays Game Info

• Houston Astros probable starting pitcher: Justin Verlander
• Toronto Blue Jays probable starting pitcher: Ross Stripling
• Game Day: Friday, April 22, 2022
• Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Stadium: Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays Pitching Matchup

Astros Starter Justin Verlander

• The Astros will look to Verlander (1-1) in his third start of the season.
• The right-hander last pitched on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, when he threw eight scoreless innings while giving up three hits.
• In two games this season, he has a .69 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings, while opponents are batting .143 against him.
• Verlander is seeking his third straight appearance lasting five or more innings. He averages 6.2 innings per appearance on the hill.
• He will face a Blue Jays offense that ranks 10th in the league with 52 runs while batting .253 as a unit. It has a collective .411 slugging percentage (sixth in MLB play) and has hit a total of 16 home runs (first in MLB).
• The 39-year-old ranks third in ERA (.69), fifth in WHIP (.692), and 10th in K/9 (10.4) among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season.

Blue Jays Starter Ross Stripling

• The Blue Jays will send Stripling to the mound for his second start of the season.
• The right-hander last pitched on Friday against the Oakland Athletics, throwing four innings without allowing a run.
• He has an ERA of 3.00, a 1 strikeout to walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.000 in three games this season.
• The Astros rank 22nd in MLB with 41 runs scored this season. They have a .200 batting average this campaign with 14 home runs (fourth in the league).

Astros Betting Picks & Insights

• The Astros have been favorites in eight games this season and won four (50%) of those contests.
• Houston has not been a bigger favorite this season than the -167 moneyline set for this game.
• The sportsbooks’ moneyline implies a 62.5% chance of a victory for the Astros.
• Houston and its opponents have gone over the total this season in five of their 12 opportunities.
• In 12 games with a spread this season, the Astros are 5-7-0 ATS.

Blue Jays Betting Picks & Insights

• The Blue Jays have come away with two wins in the four contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
• Toronto has played as an underdog of +145 or more just one time this year and came away with a win in that game.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Blue Jays have a 40.8% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
• Toronto and its opponents have gone over the total this season in four of their 12 opportunities.
• The Blue Jays are 6-6-0 against the spread in their 12 games with a line set by sportsbooks this season.

Astros Leaders & Batting Stats

• Alex Bregman has a team-high eight runs batted in.
• Of all hitters in the majors, Bregman’s home run total ranks him 30th, and his RBI tally puts him 25th.
• Yordan Alvarez’s three home runs are a team-high mark.
• Jeremy Pena paces the Astros with a team-high batting average of .308.
• Michael Brantley is batting .267 with two doubles, a home run and four walks.

Blue Jays Leaders & Batting Stats

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the Blue Jays with five home runs and 11 runs batted in, while recording a team-high batting average of .304.
• Guerrero’s home run total puts him second in the majors, and he ranks fifth in RBI.
• George Springer is batting .265 with four doubles, two home runs and two walks.
• Among all MLB hitters, Springer ranks 30th in home runs and 57th in RBI.
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is hitting .292 with three doubles and three walks.
• Matt Chapman has two doubles, two home runs and five walks while hitting .273.

Betting Tips for Astros vs. Blue Jays

We have the Blue Jays on the moneyline at +145 on the moneyline as our best bet in this contest after digging through all of the key trends and statistics for this matchup. Our computer prediction sees the scoring going over the total of 8.5 runs.