The Toronto Blue Jays will have a chance to get back to .500 when they visit the Brewers in Milwaukee on Monday for the first contest of a three-game interleague series at American Family Field.

Toronto took two of three games from the Athletics in Oakland over the weekend. The Blue Jays have won three of their last four series, but they’re now entering a very difficult portion of their schedule for the remainder of the month against opponents with .500 records or better, including the Brewers, Cleveland Guardians (two series), Boston Red Sox (two series) and New York Yankees.

Milwaukee, which leads the National League Central Division by 6 1/2 games, took two of three games from the Tigers in Detroit over the weekend. 

Let’s dive into the game odds for Monday’s clash between the Blue Jays and Brewers courtesy of bet365:

Blue Jays vs. Brewers odds

Betting Toronto Blue Jays (32-33 SU, 32-33 ATS, 29-35-1 o/u)

The next three weeks could go a long way in determining whether the Blue Jays will be buyers or sellers at this July’s trade deadline. If they can tread water and play around .500 baseball during this difficult stretch, they should still be in the wild card conversation and the front office could be convinced to push forward. But if things fall apart over the next three weeks, trade speculation surrounding some veteran players with expiring contracts (Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, Yimi Garcia, etc.) will only ramp up.

After struggling to score runs all season long, Toronto has scored six or more runs in three of its last four games. Third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa has done most of the damage in those offensive outbursts, collecting seven RBIs over those three games, including five against the A’s on Sunday.

It’s worth noting that Toronto’s bullpen is in great shape heading into this series, with every single reliever on the roster having thrown 17 pitches or less over the last three games.

Betting Milwaukee Brewers (38-27 SU, 37-28 ATS, 37-26-2)

The Brewers have been one of the surprise teams in baseball to this point. Expectations were lowered when they dealt ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles ahead of the season and then stud closer Devin Williams suffered a serious back injury, further compounding the potential problems for the Brew Crew. Back in March, oddsmakers set this team’s season win total low around 78, and the Brewers had long +650 odds to win the division behind Cincinnati, Chicago (Cubs), and St. Louis. Obviously, Milwaukee has proven them wrong to this point.

The team has literally slugged its way back to the top of the NL Central standings, ranking fourth in the majors in runs per game (five), third in hits (8.8), and third in team batting average (.257). Catcher William Contreras is leading the attack, posting a .309/.376/.475 slash line with eight homers and 46 RBIs. Rhys Hoskins has also been a nice addition to the roster, swatting a team-leading 10 homers to this point.

The Brewers have won five straight home games and they have been soaring over totals this year, posting a 37-26-2 over/under record to position themselves as one of the best “over” teams in the majors.

Probable starting pitchers

Toronto: RHP Jose Berrios (5-4, 2.80 ERA, 6.72 K/9, 1.11 WHIP)

Toronto has to feel good about sending Berrios to the hill in this series opener against the Brewers. He’s been incredible all season long for the Jays, holding the opposition to three earned runs or less in all but one of his 13 starts. The right-hander is coming off a solid start against the high-powered Orioles, when he held them to two earned runs over six innings while scattering six hits. Berrios is having much more success pitching to contact this year as his 6.72 K/9 is on pace to be a new career low.

Milwaukee: RHP Colin Rea (4-2, 3.53 ERA, 6.22 K/9, 1.35 WHIP)

At the age of 33, Rea is in the midst of a breakout season for the Brewers. He rarely throws anything that goes straight, relying on his sinker, cutter, curveball, sweeper, and split finger to always keep hitters guessing. Rea has been much better pitching at home this season, posting a 2-1 record with a 3.07 ERA and 22 strikeouts in just under 30 innings. The majority of the Blue Jays roster will be seeing Rea for the first time, as only Justin Turner and Daniel Vogelbach have previous at-bats against the righty, going just a combined 1-for-10 against him.

Weather

The retractable roof could be open at American Family Field with evening temperatures around 18 C expected under clear skies. Winds will blow from left field to right field at 5 mph.

MLB betting trends

• The Brewers are 19-8-1 o/u at home this season.
• Milwaukee played over the total in all three games against the Tigers over the weekend.
• The over is 6-3 in Toronto’s last nine games.
• Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last five games.
• The Brewers have won 13 of their last 16 home games.

MLB player prop trends

• Berrios has allowed six or more hits in four straight starts. Most sportsbooks have his line at over/under 5.5 hits allowed.
• Kiner-Falefa has hit safely in five straight games and is slashing .313/.333/.344 this month. 
• Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho is building some confidence on the basepaths, grabbing a steal in back-to-back games. He’s stolen seven bases in eight attempts this season, and if you shop around, you can find him around +500 to swipe a bag on Monday.

Blue Jays vs. Brewers predictions

• Under 8.5 runs: -115. There isn’t a lot of familiarity here with the starting pitchers for both teams. As previously stated, only two Blue Jays have previous at-bats against Rea and only six of Milwaukee’s batters have stepped into the box against Berrios before, with Willy Adames the only one having success (3-for-5). Both starting pitchers are in good form and both bullpens are fresh heading into this series opener. This should be a close, low-scoring game.

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