The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Toronto Blue Jays on August 8, 2025. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. EDT; the game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA.
Find my MLB betting preview and Blue Jays vs Dodgers prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
My Blue Jays vs Dodgers Prediction
- Blue Jays vs Dodgers pick: F5 Under 4.5 (+105) | Play to -108
My Blue Jays vs Dodgers best bet is Under 4.5 total runs in the first five innings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Blue Jays vs Dodgers Odds
| Blue Jays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -174 | 9 100o / -121u | +113 |
| Dodgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +142 | 9 100o / -121u | -137 |
Blue Jays vs Dodgers Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Max Scherzer (TOR) | Stat | LHP Clayton Kershaw (LAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | W-L | 5-2 |
| 0.3 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.1 |
| 4.39/3.66 | ERA /xERA | 3.29/3.96 |
| 4.55/3.97 | FIP / xFIP | 3.93/4.37 |
| 1.05 | WHIP | 1.25 |
| 22.1% | K-BB% | 8.8% |
| 24.8% | GB% | 48.8% |
| 97 | Stuff+ | 94 |
| 109 | Location+ | 96 |
Kenny Ducey’s Blue Jays vs Dodgers Preview
Toronto Blue Jays Betting Preview: Playoff Hopes Pinned on Scherzer
It may be 2025, but Max Scherzer ain't heard no bell. The 41-year-old is finding ways to remain effective even if his velocity isn't what it used to be, and with a heavier dose of the slider, he's managed to fill a crucial role in the middle of a very pivotal Blue Jays rotation.
Scherzer's slider hasn't induced the whiffs we've seen in the past few years, but in using it more, he's managed to find a way to induce soft contact. The Expected Batting Average on his slider is a palatable .227 — which is nearly where it sat last year in an incredibly limited sample and well beneath the heights we saw in 2023. On the whole, too, he's now come in with an xBA under .220 in his last five outings after starting the season in shaky fashion.
The strikeout rate has also increased as the season progressed, and Scherzer's whiff rate continues to rise, reaching almost 28% in July, which puts him firmly above the league average. He's now struck out more than 27% of the batter he's faced, and he remains a stalwart in the walks column with just 4.9% of batters reaching on balls.
Scherzer is still going to be liable to giving up some longballs, however, which is nothing new for the righty. His Expected Slugging Percentage resides at .448, which would be by far the worst mark of his career. This is largely due to his insane 39.4% fly-ball rate which is more than 15 points ahead of the league norm.
There's still plenty of time for that number to come down to Earth a bit, but when you consider he's been around 31% in his last three full seasons, it's not like it's going to tumble a ton.
Overall, Scherzer appears to be a trustworthy starter for a Blue Jays team that has suddenly found itself in the thick of a heated playoff race. Even with nine homers against him in eight games, there's not much else to criticize.
Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Preview: Kershaw Adapts to Stay Relevant
Scherzer's dance partner here is a surefire Hall of Famer in his own right and will have the rare opportunity to pitch as the younger of the two arms in this one.
Clayton Kershaw, at 37, has remained just as effective as Scherzer this season as he nears the end of his career, but he's done so in a much different way. He's experienced a steep drop in his strikeout numbers in the last two abbreviated seasons, with his punchout rate falling all the way to 15.4% — seven points lower than average and nearly 13 points below Kershaw's career mark.
He's always been a ground ball-oriented pitcher, however, so that's helped him navigate around the declining strikeout numbers. The lefty has, of course, pitched to a higher .267 xBA than his counterpart with more contact coming on the ground, but his xSLG is a far more comfortable .407. It's not to say that's a good mark, per se, but Kershaw's liability will simply be base hits — there's not a ton of damage being done so far this season.
The tough news for Kershaw is that the Dodgers' infield currently stands 15th in Outs Above Average this season, and Tommy Edman's injury means rookie Alex Freeland has now taken over an everyday role on the diamond. That's turned out to be a detractor for a team which has suddenly lost a lot of its shine, and to begin the month L.A.'s infield is sitting 27th with -3 OAA after ranking 20th in July.
Additionally, we need to discuss this offense a bit around that. The Dodgers were once the kings of plate discipline, but over the last two weeks they've not struck out in 25.9% of plate appearances with a measly 8.8% walk rate. We've seen these two areas steadily worsen as the season's gone on, and while the returning Max Muncy should help in the latter category, he won't do much to counteract the strikeout issues that have plagued this team.
With all of that said, however, L.A. has had a brief resurgence of late and does rank 11th in wRC+ over that same period in time. It's been largely driven by contact hitting, however, so it's not even like this team is trading the poor plate discipline for power.
Blue Jays vs Dodgers Prediction, Betting Analysis
The Dodgers have always been a better team against ground-ball pitchers, and this year is no exception. While they did sit atop the leaderboard in OPS on either side of this split just a month or so ago, they've tumbled to eighth against fly-ballers, which really highlights how much of an issue this has been.
With waning power numbers, too, it would surely seem like Scherzer is in a good spot here to deal. We've also covered how his strikeout numbers are beginning to pop again, and that's bad news for a Dodgers team that has been retired on strikes with great frequency in recent weeks.
On the other side of the coin, the Blue Jays have been a worse club against ground-ball pitchers, and as a team that swings a ton — holding low strikeout and walk rates — it makes perfect sense. Kershaw should have success in terms of rolling up expected outs. While this Dodgers defense has disappointed, I do think the return of Muncy at third base will help matters — and it also slides Freeland over to second base, where he can hide a bit more easily.
On top of that, the Dodgers are ranked 18th in xBA versus sliders from righties this season, and since the break are just 21st in Expected wOBA with a troubling 32.8% whiff rate that is just around the league average.
I expect both men to turn back the clock here and turn this one into a classic pitcher's duel. Even with some slight blemishes, the matchup is right. With the Dodgers' bullpen going through some struggles in the last week or so, it's probably best to stick with the first five innings.
Pick: F5 Under 4.5 (+105) | Play to -108
Blue Jays vs Dodgers Betting Trends
