Blue Jays vs Rays Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for May 22 (Take Note of Chris Bassitt's Recent Run of Success)

The Tampa Bay Rays (34-14) will aim to stay atop the American League East when they host the Toronto Blue Jays (25-22) in the first matchup of their four-game series on Monday, May 22.

Blue Jays vs Rays Game Info

• Date: Monday, May 22, 2023
• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Venue: Tropicana Field -- St. Petersburg, FL
• Coverage: SNET-1 and BSSUN

The Blue Jays enter Monday in major need of a bounce-back performance as they were on the wrong end of a sweep against the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Rays took two of three games against the Milwaukee Brewers, which served as a nice way to stay on a winning track.

Blue Jays vs Rays Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: TOR: (-106) | TB: (-110)
• Spread: TOR: -1.5 (+162) | TB: +1.5 (-196)
• Total: 9 -- Over: (-104) | Under: (-118)

The Rays enter this contest as slight home favorites on the moneyline per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 6:40 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 9 runs with the under favored at -118 odds.

Blue Jays vs Rays Betting Trends

• Toronto is 4-1 straight up in its last five games against Tampa Bay.
• The total has hit the over in seven of Toronto's last nine away games.
• Tampa Bay is 16-4 straight up in its last 20 home games.
• The total has hit the over in eight of Tampa Bay's last 10 games.

Blue Jays vs Rays Prediction & Pick

Toronto sits at the bottom of the AL East despite owning a winning record, which only emphasizes how important divisional contests are right now. The Blue Jays and Rays have been going back and forth over the last two years as the 22 head-to-head meetings have been split right down the middle.

I give the Blue Jays the edge in this game simply because Chris Bassitt has been a workhorse for them out on the mound. The veteran right-hander has posted a 3.05 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across nine starts (5-2 record). He has also not given up a single earned run in his last three starts (23.0 innings).

The Rays will counter with Trevor Kelley, who owns a 7.50 ERA and is expected to act as the opener for Josh Fleming (3.68 ERA). The two combined to give up 4 earned runs over 5.1 innings against Toronto back on April 15. I expect a similar outcome this time around as the Rays drop a home game.

Final Score Prediction: Blue Jays: 5 | Rays: 4

Blue Jays vs Rays Best Bet

This line sticks out as way too low given Bassitt's recent form. After being shelled for 9 earned runs in his first start of the year, the 34-year-old has logged at least 5 strikeouts in seven of his eight starts. Facing the Rays is never going to be an easy task in 2023, but keep in mind Tampa Bay owns the 10th-worst swinging strike rate in the majors (11.7%). Taking on juiced odds is worth it in this scenario.

Bet: Chris Bassitt Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-154)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.