Posted at 1:15 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  +102 BET365 +100 Sportsinteraction -103 888Sport -105

Houston +102 over Toronto

7:07 PM EST. Brandon Bielak (RHP - HOU) is not our focus here, so we are not going to spend much time on him or the Astros. We know what we are getting with Houston, and we acknowledge that they have struggled at the plate of late, but no bother. The baseball scheduling gods have served up just what the doctor ordered for an underperforming team that is chomping at the bit to tee off on someone.

We do not know what ails Alek Manoah (RHP - TOR) or what will make him right again, but at this point in the season, it's time to start thinking about shuffling this dude down to Buffalo for a week or a month, or whatever it takes until he gets his game back. The Blue Jays fancy themselves World Series contenders, but you cannot run out a liability like Manoah every five days and keep pace with those teams that are at the top of the standings. The Jays are already 8½ games back of AL East-leading Tampa, and they have two teams in front of them with the Yankees (who are 2½ back) and the Orioles (who are 4½ games up on the Jays).

We don't want to pick on the big guy, but that "bulk" could be part of the problem. Manoah came into this season noticeably heavier than he was in 2022. Pitching is a fine art, and any slight change in mechanics or balance can severely mess a guy's game up. Mindset is everything, and a pitcher must deal with the mental aspect of that high-stress position as well. When it's not going well, it can be hard to get out from under that dark cloud. We are not going to pore over Manoah's poor numbers because if you know, you know, and if you didn't, trust us, they are bowling shoe ugly. Manoah is a pitcher that is fun, and he's a funny, likable guy; however, those qualities do not cash tickets.

Finnie

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