Bodog Beat

The Blue Jays try to move closer to the AL Wild Card leading Red Sox this weekend. (AP Images)

Things are kind of quiet in Boston without Manny Ramirez around. The Red Sox are no longer the favorites to win the American League pennant; that honor goes to the Angels at 7-5. Tampa Bay is second at 3-2, followed by Boston at 5-2. Where’s the respect?
The Red Sox may have become strangely undervalued, but they won’t benefit from a handicapping perspective against the Toronto Blue Jays. These are the top two teams in the AL according to run differential:
1. Boston    +158
2. Toronto    +94
4. Tampa Bay    +83
6. L.A. Angels    +65

The Blue Jays might not feel like they’ve re-joined the AL elite, not with an 82-71 record (3.32 units) that leaves them 7.5 games behind Boston (89-63, 11.41 units) for the Wild Card. But we like them as –137 home favorites in Thursday’s opener with A.J. Burnett against Paul Byrd, and we think the Jays will retain their betting value throughout the series.

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