Blue Jays vs. Athletics Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Monday, Sept. 7

Don’t look now, but the Toronto Blue Jays are just a game out of the third and final wild card spot in the American League heading into their series opener with the Athletics on Monday.

After winning the American League and reaching Game 7 of the World Series in 2025, the Jays have been a bit of a disappointment this season, hovering around .500 without any real chance of making another deep playoff run.

But, they’ve come on as of late, winning seven of their last 10 games to make a serious push in a crowded AL wild card race.

On Monday, AL Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease (2.25 ERA) is on the mound for the Jays, who are massive favorites on the road against the Athletics and lefty Jacob Lopez (4.71 ERA).

Can Toronto stay hot against one of the worst teams in baseball?

Let’s take a look at the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for Monday’s contest.

Blue Jays vs. Athletics Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Run Line

Blue Jays -1.5 (-122)
Athletics +1.5 (+101)

Moneyline

Blue Jays: -206
Athletics: +169

Total

8.5 (Over -102/Under -118)

Blue Jays vs. Athletics Probable Pitchers

Blue Jays: Dylan Cease (10-5, 2.25 ERA)
Athletics: Jacob Lopez (6-4, 4.71 ERA)

Blue Jays vs. Athletics How to Watch

Date: Monday, Sept. 7
Time: 10:05 p.m. EST
Venue: Sutter Health Park
How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports California, Sportsnet, TVA
Blue Jays record: 72-72
Athletics record: 57-87

Blue Jays vs. Athletics Best MLB Prop Bets

Blue Jays Best MLB Prop Bet

Dylan Cease OVER 7.5 Strikeouts (-103)

Cease began the year with a start against the Athletics, striking out 12 batters across 5.1 innings of work.

The AL Cy Young candidate is averaging almost 13 strikeouts per nine innings, and he’s picked up eight or more K’s in 17 of his 26 starts this season.

His advanced numbers are terrific, as he has an expected ERA of 2.73 while sitting in the 99 percentile in strikeout percentage and the 96th percentile in whiff percentage. He should be able to shut down an Athletics lineup that averages over eight strikeouts per game, good for 21st in MLB.

Blue Jays vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

In today’s edition of Walk-Off Wagers – our MLB Best Bets column here at SI – I broke down why I’m trusting both of these starters in the early innings:

The Toronto Blue Jays are just one game out of a playoff spot in the American League, and they have Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease on the mound for Monday’s series opener with the Athletics.

The Athletics are well out of the playoff mix in the American League, and they’ve lost multiple key offensive players, including All-Star Nick Kurtz, for the rest of the season. That has contributed to the team falling into the bottom 10 in the league in Weighted Runs Created Plus, even though it is seventh in runs scored and third in OPS over the last 30 days.

Toronto has struggled on offense all season long, ranking 27th in OPS and 24th in wRC+, yet it still has clawed its way back into the playoff picture.

Cease has been a big reason why, leading the team to an 8-3 record in his 11 starts since July 1, posting a 1.36 ERA over the stretch. The star right-hander has not allowed more than three earned runs in a single outing since July 1.

He’ll take on lefty Jacob Lopez (4.71 ERA) in this series opener, but Lopez’s advanced numbers are way better than his actual ERA suggests. He ranks in the 79th percentile in expected ERA and the 86th percentile expected in batting average against this season.

Both of these pitchers are capable of keeping these offenses in check, though there is some risk with an UNDER bet since the Athletics have the worst bullpen ERA (5.45) in MLB. So, I’ll go UNDER in the first five frames when I expect both starters to still be on the mound.

Pick: First 5 Innings UNDER 4.5 (-125 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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