Blue Jays vs. Rays Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Tuesday, Aug. 18

The Rays are favored against the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Blue Jays' playoff hopes looked lost at the trade deadline, but they've surged up the standings the past two weeks and are all of a sudden firmly in the mix of the American League wild card race.

The bad news is they now have to take on the top two teams in the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees, in back-to-back series this week. They'll start with a game against the Rays tonight, a team they're 2-8 against this season.

Blue Jays vs. Rays Odds, Run Line, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run line

• Blue Jays +1.5 (-194)
• Rays -1.5 (+158)

Moneyline

• Blue Jays +118
• Rays -126

Total

• OVER 7.5 (-110)
• UNDER 7.5 (-110)

Blue Jays vs. Rays Probable Pitchers

• Toronto: Jose Soriano, RHP (9-6, 3.16 ERA)
• Tampa Bay: Nick Martinez, RHP (12-3, 2.74 ERA)

Blue Jays vs. Rays How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, August 18
• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Venue: Tropicana Field
• How to Watch (TV): MLB.TV
• Blue Jays record: 61-65
• Rays record: 75-49

Blue Jays vs. Rays Best MLB Prop Bet

• Yandy Diaz OVER 1.5 Total Bases (+115)

Yandy Diaz has plenty of career experience against Jose Soriano heading into tonight's game. He has faced him 14 times in his career, racking up a batting average of .286 against him. Diaz has a .304 batting average so far this season and has multi-hit games in three of his last five starts. I love that we can bet on him to record 2+ total bases at plus-money tonight.

Blue Jays vs. Rays Prediction and Best Bet

As good a job as the Blue Jays have done to find ways to win games lately, I'm still not completely convinced they're back to being the team they were in 2025. They're still 28th in the Majors in wRC+ over the past 30 days, well below the Rays, who are fourth in that metric in the same time frame.

The Rays have had the Blue Jays' number in recent history, including going 8-2 against them this season. Martinez has faced the Blue Jays twice already this season, allowing just two earned runs across 11.0 innings pitched.

The Rays are set at more than a fair price at home tonight.

Pick: Rays -126 via FanDuel

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