The expectations are high in Toronto this year and Tuesday night, the revamped Blue Jays roster takes the field vs. an Indians squad who also underwent a slew of changes during the off-season
Toronto enters the 2013 campaign as one of the top favorites to win the World Series according to baseball futures and the roster has the look of a champion but skeptics and sharps seem to be siding with the underdog in the season opener vs. Cleveland.
National Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey takes the hill with his new Blue Jay teammates Tuesday and books are asking bettors to lay upwards of -175 for a play on the aging knuckleballer.
Toronto’s offense could help drive the team to victories in one of the highest scoring parks in baseball and the opening day lineup looks solid:
SS J. Reyes (S) – Switch hitter with pop and speed to get things going
LF M. Cabrera (S) – Coming off a season to forget but ready for a fresh start
RF J. Bautista (R) – Two-time HR champ looks to get back on track after early finish to 2012
1B E. Encarnacion (R) – One of the most underrated power hitters in baseball
DH A. Lind (L) – Higher in the order than some expected. Under pressure to perform
C J. Arencibia (R) – Solid catcher; will have to make adjustments to new rotation
CF C. Rasmus (L) – Goal for this year is to cut down on strikeouts; lower spot in order eases burden
3B M. Izturis (S) – Filling in with Lawrie on DL; hit .239 this spring over 46 at-bats with nine RBI
2B E. Bonifacio (S) – Aggressive hitter who spreads the ball to all fields
The moneyline on Toronto matches the mantle of expectation and while Toronto has the weapons to win this game straight-up, it’s far too expensive for our liking. The Blue Jays bats look good, however and Masterson struggled through a lot of last season.
Pick: Take the Blue Jays Team Total Over 4.5 runs (-123)
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