Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Pick – 8/20/2025
The Toronto Blue Jays will head to PNC Park on Wednesday aiming to take the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both teams have won a game to begin this three-game series and will look to secure a series win in this early afternoon rubber match. Before the action begins in Pittsburgh, continue reading to get my Blue Jays vs Pirates prediction.
Our Blue Jays vs Pirates Pick
- Pick: Blue Jays Moneyline
- Confidence: 4/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Date & Time: Wednesday, August 20, 2025, 12:35 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers: Chris Bassitt (11-6, 4.22 ERA) vs Johan Oviedo (0-0, 18.00 ERA)
- Stadium: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
- Broadcast: SportsNet PT and SNET
Key Storylines
Pitching matchup
Chris Bassitt takes the mound for Toronto with an 11-6 record and a 4.22 ERA over 138.2 innings. His last outing saw him give up three earned runs over five innings against Texas. Bassit is far from spectacular but is certainly good enough to get the job done for Toronto today.
Johan Oviedo makes his second start of the year for the Pirates. He struggled in his first game of the season. He gave up two runs in just one inning of work. Any lingering issues as he works his way back could be beneficial to the Jays.
Key Players
- George Springer hit a home run for the Blue Jays in their win over the Pirates last night.
- Alejandro Kirk also went deep for Toronto and drove in another run with an RBI single.
- Bryan Reynolds had a multi-hit game for Pittsburgh on Tuesday night and will look to impact this game positively as well.
Recent team streaks
- The Blue Jays ended a two-game losing streak by beating the Pirates on Tuesday night.
- Pittsburgh has lost three of its last four games and will try to grab a series win this afternoon.
Best Player Props
| Category | Player | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Home Runs | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Over 0.5 |
| Strikeouts | Chris Bassitt | Over 5.5 |
| Total Bases | Bo Bichette | Over 1.5 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The season series between these teams is tied 1-1 going into this rubber match.
- The over is 2-0 in games played between these teams this season.
- Pittsburgh has been held to three runs or fewer in four of their last five games.
Blue Jays vs Pirates Model Projection
Score Projection: Blue Jays 5 – Pirates 3
Win Probability: Blue Jays 60%, Pirates 40%
Final Thoughts
Toronto’s advantage in the starting pitching department is undeniable going into this game. Johan Oviedo was decent when he was healthy but still has some rust to shake off at this point in time. Toronto should take full advantage of that and secure this rubber match. I will back the Blue Jays to win this contest on the moneyline to secure the series win.
