Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 8/20/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2026

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Toronto (-160) Tampa Bay (+132)

The Tampa Bay Rays (75-50) are welcoming the Toronto Blue Jays (62-65) at Tropicana Field on Thursday. The odds on this game have the Blue Jays at -160 while the Rays are coming in at +132. The over/under comes in at 8. The men taking the mound are Shane Bieber and Ian Seymour.

As a squad, the Toronto Blue Jays are notching 4.0 runs per contest, which has them at 29th in baseball. They have notched a total of 502 runs while holding a team OBP of .305. The Blue Jays have tallied 198 doubles as a team and have knocked 119 baseballs out of the park. They have 479 RBI's in addition to 1,042 base knocks on the year, while their team batting average sits at .244. Toronto is slugging .377 and have struck out 923 times, while being walked on 349 occasions.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.37 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.31. Blue Jays pitchers have yielded 131 long balls in addition to 554 runs (15th in baseball). Toronto has surrendered 1,019 hits (8.1 per 9 innings) and also 498 earned runs. The Blue Jays hold a team ERA of 3.96 over the course of the season (10th in MLB), and the staff has struck out 1,102 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 465 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 3.95 as a team so far this year.

The Blue Jays bullpen have recorded a save percentage of 74.1% and stepped onto the hill in 145 save situations. They have 43 saves on the season and have not converted 15 of 58 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 191 runners for the year and 27.2% of them crossing home plate. Blue Jays bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 137 times in addition to having 163 appearances in high leverage situations. The Blue Jays have sent 470 relief pitchers to the hill for the season. The bullpen have a total of 83 holds for the year (6th in the league).

The Blue Jays have converted 69.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 10,191 innings, which has them ranked 16th in MLB. The Toronto Blue Jays have a tally of 3,397 putouts this season, as well as 1,093 assists and 78 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .983 which has them sitting 23rd in baseball, and have 87 double plays.

Bieber has thrown 931 innings and has tallied 1,032 K's during his pro baseball career. Bieber (70-36 career record) is the owner of a FIP of 3.28 and he has gone up against 3,791 hitters during his time in the major leagues. His ERA is 3.33 (345 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.135. He has given up 838 base hits (8.1 hits per 9 innings) and has 219 walks.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a team OBP of .332 as well as a team batting average of .262 so far this season. They have been rung up on 886 instances (30th in the league) and are sitting with 1,103 hits. Tampa Bay has recorded 132 home runs this season as well as 543 RBIs. The Rays have a team slugging percentage of .408 and they score 4.57 runs per game (11th in the league). They have 178 doubles, while getting a free base 408 times and recording 571 runs.

The Rays have a WHIP of 1.163 and have a FIP of 4.09 as a squad this season. They sit at 8th in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 977. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 523 runs on the campaign while having an ERA of 3.83 (475 earned runs relinquished). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.20 (1,022 strikeouts against 321 walks). They have yielded 159 home runs and they allow 4.22 runs per 9 innings (7th in MLB).

Tampa Bay relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.8% out of 151 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 124 times in high leverage situations and also on 104 occasions with runners on. With 156 save situations, the Rays have 92 holds in addition to 15 blown saves. They are ranked 2nd in MLB holding a save rate of 76.6%, and they have sent 400 relief pitchers to the mound over the course of the season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 83 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .983 (22nd in the majors). The Rays have accrued 990 assists, 74 errors and are sitting with 3,348 putouts for the year. In their 10,044 innings on the field, the Rays hold a defensive efficiency of 71.8% (3rd in professional baseball).

So far in his career, Seymour has given up 126 base knocks while accumulating 179 strikeouts in 153 frames. He has allowed 67 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.150 and having a FIP of 3.9. His K/BB ratio is 3.58 and he has faced 641 opposing hitters in his pro baseball career. Seymour (13-6 win-loss record in his career) is the owner of a 3.94 earned run average while allowing 7.4 hits per nine innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Toronto (-160)

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