The Toronto Blue Jays were the runners-up in the American League last season after falling to the Indians in the ALCS in 5 games. The Blue Jays have been a threat at the World Series for the last couple of seasons and 2017 should see much of the same. Though the Blue Jays have a lot of roster questions with free agency looming, mainly whether or not they will resign Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, they should still hold relatively high odds to go for this season. The 2017 betting preview for the Toronto Blue Jays shows that the team is looking to make their third consecutive trip to the ALCS, and this time win the entire championship.
The Blue Jays World Series odds going into the 2017 season are +1400 according to BetOnline Sportsbook. As we continue to see major moves made during the offseason, those odds will most likely change quite a bit before the season begins. The Blue Jays betting line comes in fifth among all AL teams, and the club has the tenth highest odds in the league. While those numbers don’t seem great, the Blue Jays have been a tough competitor in the AL for a few years now and that isn’t likely to change soon.
Blue Jays Odds to Win the Division
While the odds to win the AL East have yet to be posted on the major sportsbooks like Bovada, and BetOnline, you can still make assumptions of where teams might land within their division. The Blue Jays made it to the ALCS last season before being eliminated by the Cleveland Indians so by that logic you can expect to see the Blue Jays second to only the Indians when discussing the Toronto’s chances to win the AL East but that’s not the only point to make. The Jays have already lost a couple of key players in free agency, with the possibility to lose more. Guys like Edwin Encarnacion, Joaquin Benoit, and Jose Bautista were huge contributors for Toronto in 2016, so without them, it’s safe to assume that their odds will be lower than they would be if they had the same roster.
Key Additions To The Blue Jays in 2017
The biggest addition for the Blue Jays thus far has to be the signing of Kendrys Morales. The power hitting DH seems like a solid backup plan in case one of the Blue Jays heavy hitters signs somewhere else. They also brought in Brett Oberholtzer for pitching depth and Steve Pearce, who hit for the highest average of his career in 2016 (.288), who can play all over the infield and both corners of the outfield.
Key Departures From the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017
The Blue Jays key departures for 2017 start with free agents Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. While these two haven’t signed contracts anywhere else, the threat of them both being gone is something that should worry fans of the team for 2017. The two combined for 64 home runs and losing those bat threats could cripple the lineup. This is a big story that fans of Toronto should pay attention to as free agency continues. While Bautista and Encarnacion are just a potential loss, the Jays have already lost three other big name players to new teams. Joaquin Benoit (Phillies), Brett Cecil (Cardinals), and R.A. Dickey (Braves) have all taken contracts elsewhere and have left Toronto with holes everywhere.
Blue Jays Prospects to Look Out For in 2017
The Blue Jays have three prospects ranked in the top 100 prospects list in the MLB but all three of them aren’t expected to be called up until 2018. Richard Urena is the team's top prospect but he is a shortstop and the Jays starting SS Troy Tulowitzki isn’t going anywhere right now. Add in the fact that Devon Travis and Josh Donaldson are also great infielders, Urena doesn’t seem like he needs to be rushed onto the team as of yet. Sean Reid-Foley is the team’s top-ranked pitcher and at 6 foot 3, Reid-Foley certainly looks the part. He is only 21 years old however so the Blue Jays may not want to rush him out there. With the exceptional year that the talent has had, we expect that the odds for Sean Reid-Foley to win rookie of the year will start appear across sportsbooks as the season moves along. The team’s third-ranked prospect is outfielder Anthony Alford. Alford has the speed, plate presence and fielding ability that could see him be the first of these three players to get called up.
Blue Jays Top 3 Prospects
| Player | Position | ETA | Age | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Urena | SS | 2018 | 20 | 6 Foot |
| Sean Reid-Foley | RHP | 2018 | 21 | 6 Feet 3 |
| Anthony Alford | OF | 2018 | 22 | 6 foot 1 |
MLBPreview.com recommends online sports betting site is the best place to bet on the Toronto Blue Jays. You will always find the best MLB betting odds and baseball insights at online sportsbooks. Betting on the Blue Jays is as simple as creating a free account at one of the best MLB sportsbooks, which include Bovada, 5Dimes, BetOnline, and SportsBetting. All that is required is your name, address, telephone number, email, and date of birth and you are all signed up. The next step would be to put money on your account, and all the sites that we recommend have numerous banking options that are convenient for bettors. Before you make your first bet, you can read insider tips, check out the wagering guides, or live stream the game. When you are ready to place a bet, just visit the main sportsbook page and select baseball from the sports menu. You will be able to see all the current betting lines, and you can also navigate to the MLB futures or live betting sections to see what lines are available.
What To Expect When Making Your First Baseball Betting Deposit
Banking at an online sportsbook is no different than how you would complete any online transaction. Sports betting sites make it simple and easy to deposit funds into your account. As an added bonus, the book will often waive all processing fees for new bettors. To see all of the available deposit options, visit the cashier tab of your account. There you will find all of the funding methods that your account is eligible for. Due to the fact that banking restrictions vary from country to country, not all options will be open to every bettor. That being said, there are quite a few deposit methods that the majority of members can use regardless of residence. The most popular deposit method would be credit cards because of the convenience and speed. Bitcoin is a newer but equally expedient option and can used at a variety of online retailers. One of the best deposit methods for US players are checks because you can send funds without having to worry about if your bank will process the transaction. Checks are also a good option for bettors that are looking for higher deposit maximums. Money Gram and other person-to-person methods can now be completed online, which makes the entire process that much quicker. All of the deposit methods will have varying minimum and maximum deposit limits, and you can always verify these limits by reading the general banking page or contacting customer service. Once you have decided upon which payment option you would like to use, the deposit process can be completed in as little as 10 minutes!
Best Deposit Methods For Baseball Bettors
Now that you are familiar with the deposit methods that are available, you may be wondering which options are the best for baseball bettors. The top priority is to use a deposit method that is as fast as it is reliable. You will also want a method that allows you to make multiple deposits per month without hassle. The first deposit method that fits the bill is credit cards. The convenience of using your Visa, American Express, or MasterCard is unbeatable, and transaction fees are relatively low (4% to 7%). International bettors will not run into any issues with having their credit cards processed, and US bettors can take advantage of sportsbooks like Bovada that have high processing success rates. A more reliable alternative for US players are prepaid Visa gift cards, which work the same way but bypass having to be processing by your personal bank. Whether you use credit or prepaid card, the deposit will be funded into your account immediately.
Bitcoin is the deposit option that is best for baseball bettors around the world. The e-currency is accepted everywhere, and converting your cash is a very simple process. The Bitcoin minimum deposit is around $10, and the maximum can be upwards of $5,000. The often non-existent fees associated with this method also make it a top choice. You do not have to have an existing Bitcoin account, just make one once you are ready to transfer funds to your sportsbook account. The sports betting site will provide you with their Bitcoin wallet address and once the transfer is complete, your account will be instantly credited and you can begin betting on MLB!
The Basics Of Deposit Bonuses And How To Use Them
There is nothing better than making a profit from betting on the Blue Jays, except perhaps free cash from your online sportsbook. Sports betting sites offer their players bonuses and promotions that put additional funds into your account. Deposit bonuses, in particular, tend to offer the most value, with free plays totaling up to $2,500 or more. Bettors can get cash back on initial deposits and those that follow, but how do you know which bonuses are worth redeeming? If you want to make the best choice when it comes to deposit bonuses, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
New player bonuses are often the most attractive because they will be larger than most of the other bonuses that are offered. Take for example BetOnline that offers up to $2,500 as part of their welcome bonus. Compared to the $250 sign up bonus offered by Bovada, BetOnline might seem like the better deal at first. This, however, is not the case because you have to consider rollover requirements. A rollover is the number of times that a player has to wager the total bonus + deposit amount. So if there was a 10-time rollover and you were to deposit $1,000 to receive a $500 bonus, you would have to make $15,000 ($1,500 X 10) in wagers before being able to request a withdrawal. Being able to meet the rollover requirement depends on how often you plan on betting. Many MLB fans bet in high-volume, so as long as you keep the rollover in mind the requirement should be easy to meet.
The last deposit bonus tip is to check how long it will take for the bonus to be applied to your account. Luckily, the majority of online sports betting sites will apply their deposit bonuses instantly and you can begin wagering immediately. The 75% Welcome Bonus at SportsBetting is one of the fastest deposit bonuses that you will find. Still, there are some sportsbooks such as 5Dimes that will credit the free plays incrementally as you wager. This can be seen as a benefit when trying to pace out your bets over time. In either instance, the entire deposit bonus will be applied accordingly and can be used without limitations on MLB bets and any other sports within the sportsbook.
One piece of advice that we always give MLB bettors is to have multiple online sportsbook accounts in order to line shop and find the best value. When you are using more than one sports betting site, you will see that the odds are often times written in several different formats. Learning how to read baseball odds is a basic concept that all bettors should grasp in order to get the most out of each sportsbook. The baseball odds that you come across will be in either fractional, decimal, or American format.
American odds will be found on sports betting sites that accept US players. These odds will indicate a favorite (-) or underdog (+) followed by a number that will either denote your risk or profit. If the Toronto Blue Jays were -150 favorites, that would mean you have to risk $150 to win $100. If the Blue Jays were +150 underdogs, you would win $150 with a $100 stake.
Decimal odds are commonly found in European sportsbooks and are quite simple to understand. Rather than a symbol indicating the favorite and underdog, you can decipher this by how high or low the decimal is. Decimal odds below 2.0 mean that your risk will be greater than your potential return, while odds above 2.0 mean that your potential winnings will be more than the amount you had to risk. Let us say that the odds for the Blue Jays were 2.50 and your stake was $100. To calculate your payout, multiply 2.50 X $100 for a total of $250 if you win.
Fractional odds are most prevalent in the UK, but you will come across them frequently. These odds are expressed in a win/risk ratio. For example, 2/1 odds would mean that you win $200 by risking $100, while 1/2 odds would mean you win $100 for risking $200. The left side of the fractional will always indicate your potential winnings, while the right side will indicate the risk amount. If the fraction is less than 1, then those odds represent the favorite. If greater than 1, that team is the underdog.
Whether you are crossing over from another sport or are just new to baseball betting, you will find that baseball wager types are similar to those of other popular sports. Betting on the moneyline is the most straightforward bet because it involves betting on either the underdog or favorite to win the game. A run line bet is essentially a moneyline with a point spread of -1.5/+1.5 attached. If you bet on the favorite (-1.5), the team has to win by 2 runs. Should you bet on the underdog, the team must lose by 1 run or win the game outright. Totals are a popular MLB bet where the oddsmaker posts the total runs scored and bettors wager on if the actual total will be over or under the specified number. MLB parlays, where you choose between 2-12 individual bets and combine them into one, can also be profitable should all of your picks win. The one outlier that is exclusive to baseball is betting on 5-inning lines. This is where you only wager on the first five innings of the game rather than the full nine. Bettors can find immense value in only having to account for the performance of the starting pitchers rather than the bullpen.
Whether you plan on betting a few times a month or laying money on the Blue Jays daily, understanding baseball betting trends and statistics is important. Every aspect of baseball, from the number of runs, strikeouts, and at-bats, is recorded and analyzed. These statistics are key when handicapping baseball and developing a profitable betting strategy. Though there are hundreds of statistics to look at, some are more helpful than others. Sabermetrics, in particular, have made handicapping baseball easier than ever with new metrics that give more pointed information. xFIP (adjusted Fielding Independent Pitching) has started to replace ERA (earned run average) when it comes to evaluating starting pitchers. The metric only takes into consideration what the pitcher has the most control over, such as walks, fly ball rates, strikeouts and batters hit. Sportsbooks nowadays will value a pitcher based on his xFIP rather than ERA and WHIP because xFIP does not include the defensive performance of the team. Another key pitching stat is K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings) because if a pitcher averages 1 strikeout or more per inning, oddsmakers will give him increased value. When it comes to hitting, the go-to stats have always been team batting average and runs per game, but you will also want to consider the team’s OBS (on-base percentage). The more players you get on base, the more likely they are to get runs.
Best Bonuses For Betting On The Toronto Blue Jays!
When you want to bet on the Toronto Blue Jays, SportsBetting.ag is the sports betting site that you want to visit. The sportsbook is one of the few on the market that accepts players from all 50 states and countries abroad. The book is action packed with all the latest MLB betting lines, and you will be impressed with the variety of wagering options. To sweeten the deal, SportsBetting offers some of the best deposit bonuses in the industry. The 75% Welcome Bonus is ideal for new bettors because you can score up to $1,000 in free plays just from making your initial deposit. The book also wants to reward its loyal members, which is why there is a 25% Bonus For Life that applies to all reload deposits that are over $50. There are also bonuses that take the risk out of trying new features such as mobile or live betting. The first time you try either platform, you can get a $25 free play for betting on live lines and $50 for placing a wager via the mobile site. Throughout the MLB season, you will also see more bonuses and rewards that are specific to baseball betting, such as MLB dime lines that go up to -194. Create your free SportsBetting account now, and then head over to the promotions page to check out the latest bonuses!