Published Mar 26, 10:52am ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 26, 10:52am ET
Grok AI
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| Toronto Blue Jays | -1.5 (+125) |
| Athletics | +1.5 (-145) |
The Athletics are still functioning without a regional identifier even though they're playing their home games in Sacramento through 2027. After that season, they plan to move to Las Vegas.
In 2025, as a team without a designated home and spending the bare minimum, they were expected to be the worst team in baseball. But manager Mark Kotsay led an overachievement with an impressive 76-86 record, given the circumstances.
They are making incremental improvements, signing and trading for reasonably priced and established veterans, and signing their homegrown talent to long-term extensions.
Veterans Jeff McNeil, Aaron Civale, and Scott Barlow were brought on board. Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, and Lawrence Butler all signed contract extensions.
For Opening Day Athletics-Blue Jays, the A's start Luis Severino.
In 2025, Severino started 29 games, posted a 4.54 ERA, and had a 0.9 bWAR. He was reliable, though not great. In a home ballpark in which home runs came easily, he only surrendered 16 overall.
At the plate against Jays' starter Kevin Gausman, Butler is 1 for 3 with an RBI. Slugger Brent Rooker has a homer and 3 RBI in 8 at-bats. McNeil is batting .444 with a 1.000 OPS.
In 2025, the Blue Jays were thisclose to their first World Series win since 1993 before a Jeff Hoffman blown save and their inability to push the walk-off run across cost them the title.
They've made some substantial changes to their roster. Former starting shortstop Bo Bichette left as a free agent.
They added Kazuma Okamoto from Japan to play 3rd base, starting pitcher Dylan Cease, and sidearming reliever Tyler Rogers.
For Opening Day, they send Gausman to the hill.
Last season, he posted a 3.8 bWAR in 32 starts, striking out 189 in 193 innings, and posting a 3.59 ERA.
Against Severino, the Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is batting .357 in 14 at-bats with a homer and 2 RBI. Alejandro Kirk is batting .667 in 6 at-bats. George Springer is batting .111 in 27 at-bats, but has 2 homers.
The Blue Jays have realistic World Series hopes. The Athletics are hoping for respectability and to take a step forward after their surprisingly decent season in 2025.
For Opening Day, the matchup is relatively even with two veteran starters with extensive experience against the other team facing each other.
Toronto is favored by 1.5 runs. The A's should keep it closer than that, even if they don't win the game outright. For this matchup, the wiser choice is to take the runs and the underdogs.
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Athletics +1.5 (-145)
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