The Toronto Blue Jays will begin the second half of their current six-game interleague homestand on Friday evening when the St. Louis Cardinals visit Rogers Centre.

Toronto dropped two of three games to the New York Mets earlier this week and has failed to win each of its last four series.

St. Louis is coming off a home series win, taking two of three games from the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.

Let’s dive into the game odds for Friday’s series opener between the Cardinals and Blue Jays courtesy of bet365:

Cardinals vs. Blue Jays odds

Cardinals Moneyline Odds	+115
Blue Jays Moneyline Odds	-135
Runline Odds	Blue Jays -1.5 (+160), Cardinals +1.5 (-190)
Over/Under	Over 8 runs (+100), Under 8 runs (-120)
Time/Date	Sept. 13, 7:07 p.m. ET
TV	Broadcast: Sportsnet, Sportsnet+

Betting St. Louis Cardinals (74-72 SU, 68-77 ATS, 68-73-5 o/u)

The Cardinals are two games above .500 heading into this series, and they’re still mathematically alive in the National League playoff race. They’re 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead, and they trail the Mets by six games for the final Wild Card spot, giving them a 0.4% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs.

This team has really struggled to score runs this year, averaging just 4.1 per game, ranking them 24th in the majors. Over the last seven games, the Cardinals are averaging just 2.5 runs per game. St. Louis pitchers also rank in the back half of baseball in several statistical categories, including ERA (4.13 – 18th), K/9 (8.19 – 26th), and WHIP (1.25 – 18th). However, they are one of the better defensive teams, boasting a .988 fielding percentage (third in the majors) and 31 defensive runs saved (eighth in majors).

Betting Toronto Blue Jays (69-78 SU, 78-69 ATS, 76-67-4 o/u)

Another day, another massive implosion from the Blue Jays bullpen. Bowden Francis took a no-hitter into the ninth inning Wednesday against the Mets, but the Jays still found a way to lose by a score of 6-2. Chad Green came on in relief of Francis after he lost his no-hit bid by way of a Francisco Lindor solo homer, and promptly gave up a hit and three walks before making way for Genesis Cabrera, who coughed up a three-run homer to complete the Mets’ comeback. Toronto’s bullpen has been atrocious this year, posting a 4.83 ERA while giving up the most homers in the majors (83).

One bright spot for the Blue Jays over their three-game series with the Mets was the play of Ernie Clement, who posted three consecutive multi-hit games and scored three runs. He’s hitting .342 in September with an .842 OPS.

Probable starting pitchers

St. Louis: RHP Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.39 ERA, 7.79 K/9, 1.17 WHIP)

Fedde has struggled since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox, posting a 1-5 record with a 4.30 ERA in seven starts with the Cardinals. His last outing against the Seattle Mariners wasn’t too bad, though, lasting 4 1/3 innings while giving up one run with three walks. Fedde pitched against Toronto as a member of the White Sox on May 20, and he was tagged for five earned runs over six innings of work.

Toronto: TBD

Weather

Forecasts are calling for temperatures around 22 C under clear skies in Toronto, so this should be an outdoor game. Winds will blow out to left field at 4 mph.

MLB betting trends

The Blue Jays have played over the total in 33 of their last 49 home games.
The Cardinals have hit the team total under in 14 of their last 21 away games.
The Blue Jays have covered the runline in 27 of their last 44 games.

MLB player prop trends

Fedde has walked two or more batters in eight of his last 10 starts. He’s around -180 to walk two or more batters.
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk has hit safely in eight straight games. He’s around -230 to get a hit.
As previously mentioned, Clement has posted three straight multi-hit games. Odds are not yet out on his hits and total bases markets.

Cardinals vs. Blue Jays predictions

Daulton Varsho is in a bit of a funk at the plate with just four hits in 27 at-bats (.148 batting average) this month, but this could be a spot for him to break out. Varsho is 3-for-7 with two home runs and five RBIs in his career against Fedde. He’s also drawn two walks against the right-hander. Varsho is around -190 to get a hit and +475 to homer, depending on the sportsbook.
Hold off on betting game lines until Toronto’s starting pitcher is confirmed. It’s assumed to be Kevin Gausman’s spot in the rotation, which would bode well for Toronto’s chances of winning this game. If Gausman is the confirmed starter, take the Jays to lead after five innings (because their bullpen can’t be trusted) at even-money odds.