Braves ace Spencer Strider is set to make his season debut when the Atlanta Braves (5-12) and Toronto Blue Jays (10-8) play their series finale on Wednesday at Rogers Centre. First pitch is set for 1:07 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports South and Sportsnet. It can also be streamed on MLB.TV.
Find my Braves vs Blue Jays predictions for Wednesday, plus the latest MLB lines, probable pitchers, starting lineups, betting trends and more.
Braves vs Blue Jays Prediction
Braves vs Blue Jays pick:Blue Jays Moneyline (+125; play to -110)
My Braves vs Blue Jays best bet is on the Toronto moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Braves vs Blue Jays Odds, Spread, Best Bet
| Braves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +118 | 8 -120o / +100u | -140 |
| Blue Jays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -140 | 8 -120o / +100u | +118 |
- Braves vs Blue Jays Moneyline: Braves -140, Blue Jays +118
- Braves vs Blue Jays Total: 8 (-120o / +100u)
- Braves vs Blue Jays Spread: Braves -1.5 (+118), Blue Jays +1.5 (-140)
- Braves vs Blue Jays Best Bet: Jays Moneyline
Braves vs Blue Jays Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Spencer Strider (ATL) | Stat | RHP Chris Bassitt (TOR) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 (season debut) | W-L | 1-0 |
| — | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.9 |
| — | ERA /xERA | 0.98 / 3.14 |
| — | FIP / xFIP | 1.23 / 2.65 |
| — | WHIP | 1.09 |
| — | K-BB% | 24.7% |
| — | GB% | 38.8% |
| — | Stuff+ | 96 |
| — | Location+ | 110 |
Braves vs Blue Jays Preview, Prediction
Braves Betting Preview & Starting Lineup; Strider Returns
Braves starting lineup
- CF Michael Harris II (L)
- 3B Austin Riley (R)
- 1B Matt Olson (L)
- C Sean Murphy (R)
- 2B Ozzie Albies (Switch)
- DH Drake Baldwin (L)
- LF Bryan De La Cruz (R)
- RF Eli White (R)
- SS Orlando Arcia (R)
Starting pitcher: Spencer Strider
Welcome back, Spencer Strider! Perhaps getting the ace of the Braves' staff back will be the injection of energy they need after a tough start.
Strider feels ahead of most pitchers who underwent elbow surgery. He’s about 13 months removed from surgery and went five innings with 13 Ks on 90 pitches in his final rehab start.
Of course, Triple-A hitters should look overmatched by a perennial Cy Young contender, but the crisp pitches from Strider and stamina stood out.
Getting Strider back is nice, but he doesn't solve the Braves' most pressing issue.
The issue is offense as the Braves sit 20th with a 94 wRC+. They have the fifth-worst strikeout rate in baseball at 25.5%.
Adding All-Star catcher Sean Murphy back to the lineup has improved some of the issues; he leads the team with a 223 wRC+ while adding four homers in six games.
Without Ronald Acuña Jr. in the fold, I can't picture the Braves offense sneaking into the top 15 in wRC+. While he homered on Tuesday, Matt Olson is struggling (.692 OPS) after a down 2024 season — and he isn't the only scuffling Atlanta hitter.
Look no further than Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris, two guys with a wRC+ below 90. That's rough when three of the perceived reliable hitters are anything but.
Blue Jays Betting Preview: Vlad, Bichette & Co. Underperforming
Blue Jays Starting Lineup
- SS Bo Bichette (R)
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R)
- DH Anthony Santander (Switch)
- 2B Andres Gimenez (L)
- C Alejandro Kirk (R)
- LF Alan Roden (L)
- 3B Ernie Clement (R)
- RF Addison Barger (L)
- CF Myles Straw (R)
Starting pitcher: Chris Bassitt
The Blue Jays offense is 11th in MLB with a 108 wRC+, despite Vladimir Guerrero Jr. posting a 106 wRC+ and Bo Bichette sitting with a 107 wRC+.
Guerrero is due for some positive regression. He’s batting .275 but he has an Expected Batting Average (xBA) of .335 and an Expected Slugging Percentage (xSLG) of .506 instead of his actual .343 SLG.
The Jays' prized free-agent signing, Anthony Santander, hasn't gotten rolling either. He was hitting below .200 before going 2-for-4 with a home run on Wednesday. It's easy to get excited about Toronto's potential if the proven hitters start hitting to their abilities.
If you told me that none of Guerrero, Bichette and Santander would have a wRC+ better than 108 two weeks into the year, I would figure the Blue Jays are dead last in the AL East. Instead, they sit in second place in the division.
One of the main reasons why is the man taking the hill.
While Chris Bassitt doesn't have the flashy stuff that Strider does, I trust him more right now.
The biggest changes for Bassitt? He's throwing strikes.
He doesn't throw more than 91-93 mph, so he needs to locate. His BB/9 has dropped from 3.68 to 1.47 and he lifted his K/9 from 8.89 to 10.31. He will eventually allow a homer, but the walk rate and strikeout boost could be sustainable.
The increase in throwing strikes leads to Bassitt's 0.98 ERA and 1.23 FIP. He should have a great chance to shut down what has been a terrible Braves lineup.
Braves vs Blue Jays Prediction, Betting Analysis
The Blue Jays are a home underdog t0 a fairly underwhelming Braves team.
I imagine Strider taking the hill plays a rather large role in Atlanta being favored. I mentioned how good Strider performed in Triple-A, but the game pressure of a major league game is a different beast.
It's tough to know what to expect from Strider without seeing it first, especially since manager Brian Snitker will likely protect him if the Blue Jays force him into laborious innings.
Pick: Blue Jays Moneyline (+125; play to -110)
Moneyline
I'm not sure Strider is fully ready and I don't trust this Braves lineup, so I like the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Pick: Blue Jays moneyline
Run Line (Spread)
While I'm betting Toronto on the moneyline, I do not have a play on the run line.
Pick: pass
Over/Under
I do not see value on the total in this matchup.
Pick: pass
Braves vs Blue Jays Betting Trends
Braves vs Blue Jays Viewing Info: Channel, Start Time, Streaming
| Location: | Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada |
| Date: | Wednesday, April 16 |
| Time: | 1:07 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming Options: | FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet; MLB.TV |
