Toronto Blue Jays at Houston Astros, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors HOU.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Blue Jays- George SpringerBatting1-3, 1 RBI
- Bowden FrancisPitching4.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 K
Astros- Christian WalkerBatting2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Ryan GustoPitching5.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 K
Scoring summary
- 4Springer doubled to left, Guerrero Jr. scored.1–3
- 2Alvarez hit sacrifice fly to center, Dezenzo scored, McCormick to second, Dubón to third.0–3
- 2Dezenzo singled to right, Diaz scored.0–2
- 2Walker homered to left center (356 feet).0–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Astros 52%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 50–55% have won 52.7% of 2,871 graded games.
- Market
- HOU 52%
- ML TOR +100 / HOU -120
- Pre-line forecast
- HOU 54%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- HOU 56%
- Ratings vs. market
- +3.7 pts
- HOU: Elo 55.9%, market 52.2%
- Fair odds
- HOU -109
- TOR +109 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- TOR 4.2 – 4.3 HOU
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8.5
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | TOR | HOU | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1490 | 1526 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +8 | −5 | TOR: Bowden Francis: team allows 0.41 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈8 weighted starts) · HOU: Ryan Gusto: team allows 0.26 more runs than with its usual starter (≈2 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | HOU +41 Elo | HOU 55.9% | |
| Market-implied ratings | HOU 53.9% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | HOU 54.2% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | HOU 52.2% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| TOR | Stat | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| 24th of 303.6 | Runs scored | 3.922nd of 30 |
| 10th of 304.2 | Runs allowed | 3.54th of 30 |
| 21st of 30−0.6 | Margin | +0.410th of 30 |
| 19th of 304–6 | Last 10 | 6–47th of 30 |
| 17th of 304–7 | Road vs home | 8–620th of 30 |
| 8th of 301509 | Opponent Elo | 150511th of 30 |
| 22nd of 301490 | Elo rating | 15268th of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season |  TOR |  HOU |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 16–8 | 12–11 |
| Last 10 | 5–5 | 6–4 |
| Favorite | 7–5 | 7–7 |
| Underdog | 9–3 | 5–4 |
| Overs–unders | 9–15 | 8–15 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 6–4 | 3–7 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
TOR 6–10 HOU in their last 16 meetings; the forecast called 12 of 16.