Vlad Guerrero a Betting Focus in Blue Jays Series vs. Oakland A's This Weekend

No one would have predicted this at the start of the season – Vlad Guerrero Jr. has just nine home runs in 73 games, including zero at the Rogers Centre.

That stat stands out so much that FanDuel Sportsbook has offered a novelty market around it. 

The Jays – 41-35 on the season, 10 games out of first place in the American League East, .5 games out of a wild card spot – open a series tonight at home against the lowly Oakland A’s, a team that is dead last in baseball at 19-58, losers of eight in a row.

Vlad Guerrero Prop Bets On Homer at Home

The Jays are 5-5 in their last 10, and most would call the season to date disappointing, considering the money allocated to payroll and the early season expectations, so the three-game set this weekend is a great opportunity to make some hay.

FanDuel has set prop betting odds on Guerrero hitting his first homer at home this weekend – 3.9 that it will happen in tonight’s game, 4.9 tomorrow, 6.5 Sunday. They have the odds at 6.0 that he won’t hit one at home until after July 3, or no home run in 2023.

The overall lack of faith in the Jays hitting, the malaise there, has been one of the big storylines in 2023, right up there with what’s happened to Alek Manoah – the big right-handed pitcher who was a Cy Young candidate last season and now sits in the lower minor leagues trying to rediscover his pitching mojo. 

All the cheering and pom-pom coverage about Manoah from the Rogers-owned TV broadcaster (Rogers Communications also own the Jays) to start the season didn’t help. But here we are, with the Jays running with a four-man starting rotation now.

RHP Chris Bassitt (7-5, 4.16 ERA) starts tonight against Oakland RHP James Kaprielian (2-6, 6.38ERA), with RHP Jose Berrios (7-5, 3.64 ERA) going tomorrow against Oakland LHP Hogan Harris (2-1, 4.45 ERA). LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 3.97 ERA) starts Sunday against Oakland RHP Luis Medina (1-6, 7.01 ERA). 

Why Aren't the Blue Jays Winning Right Now?

NorthStar Bets Moneyline for tonight is Jays 1.35. BetMGM has the moneyline for tonight’s game at 1.34.

Hitting isn’t exactly the issue – it’s been their inability to get men in while on base. From May 24 to June 20, the Jays rank among teams in the basement regarding runs per game – 3.62, third worst in the league. The A’s are last at 3.36.

What also doesn’t help this weekend is a lingering thumb issue with shortstop Bo Bichette. The All-Star candidate is fifth in the American League with a .317 batting average, and with just seven errors so far this season and has improved his defence as well.

Bichette was a healthy scratch in Wednesday’s game in Miami against the Marlins, and it’s unclear as of now that he’ll start tonight against Oakland. He’s a finalist for an AL all-star starting spot.