Blue Jays team total runs O/U 5.5 vs Yankees but Bichette ruled out with calf strain 90 minutes before first pitch

Line shopping shows some interesting movement already. Pinnacle dropped to 5.0 about 20 minutes ago, but MyStake is still hanging at 5.5 with better juice on the Under at -105. Their live updates are usually 30-45 minutes behind the sharper books on injury news.

I tracked similar situations this season - when a team's #2 hitter gets scratched within 2 hours of game time, the team total drops by an average of 0.3 runs. Bichette's OPS against Cole specifically is .847 in 17 career at-bats, so losing that matchup hurts more than the surface numbers suggest.

Kirk moving up to the 2-hole changes the entire approach. He's more of a contact guy (.289 average) but only 4 stolen bases all season compared to Bichette's 15. That could kill some late-inning rally potential.

This is classic overreaction territory. Bichette's been solid but he's not their entire offense. Vladdy Jr is still in the 3-hole hitting .318 with RISP, and Chapman's been locked in at .295 over his last 20 games.

Cole's numbers look decent on paper but he's given up 2+ earned runs in 4 of his last 6 starts. The Jays have seen him enough this season to have a decent game plan. I'm not buying into the panic - 5.5 feels right regardless of the lineup shuffle.

Had a similar situation back in July when I was tracking the Red Sox team total against Tampa Bay. Their leadoff guy got scratched 2 hours before game time with a hamstring pull, and I figured it was free money on the Under. Wrong move - their replacement went 2-for-4 with a double and the team still pushed over their total by half a run.

The thing about these late scratches is that the rest of the lineup knows they need to step up. I remember watching Kirk in that exact situation against the Orioles three weeks ago when Springer was out sick. He moved up to the 2-spot and went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, completely changed the game flow.

What really matters here is the Yankees bullpen situation. Holmes has been shaky lately with a 4.15 ERA over his last 8 appearances, and if Cole gets pulled after 5.2 innings like he did in his last start, you're looking at 3+ innings of their middle relief. That's where the Jays can really pile on runs, especially with their patient approach - they're averaging 4.2 walks per game this month.

I'm actually leaning Over here. The line movement to 5.0 at some books creates better value, and Rabona still has 5.5 at decent juice. Sometimes the obvious play is the wrong play, and this feels like one of those spots where the injury news is being overvalued.

Numbers don't lie on this one. Bichette's been their most productive 2-hole hitter in 3 years, with a .387 OBP in that spot. Kirk's career OBP from the 2-hole is .341 across 89 plate appearances. That's a significant drop in table-setting ability.

Yankees defense has also tightened up - only 2 errors in their last 12 games compared to 8 errors in the 12 games before that. Less defensive mistakes means fewer extra baserunners for the Jays to capitalize on.

Cole's slider usage is up 4% this month and opposing teams are hitting .198 against it. The real concern is whether the Jays can get to him early before he settles in. Without Bichette's aggressive approach in the 2-hole, they might let Cole work deeper into counts and find his rhythm.

Still pretty new to betting team totals - does this kind of late lineup change usually create value opportunities? Should I be looking at the Under now or waiting to see if the line drops more?

Also wondering about the bullpen situation maritimemike mentioned. How much does Yankees relief pitching really factor into a 9-inning team total? Is it worth researching their middle relief stats or should I focus more on Cole's recent performance?

The key here is understanding how the Jays approach changes without their most consistent contact hitter. Bichette's 89.2% contact rate leads the team, and Kirk sits at 85.1% - that 4% difference might not sound like much, but it translates to fewer balls in play and more strikeouts in crucial situations.

Looking at the broader context, Cole has allowed 3+ earned runs in 6 of his 11 starts against AL East opponents this season. The Jays have the second-best team OPS against right-handed starters in the division at .751, even without Bichette in some of those games.

Weather's also a factor tonight - 78 degrees with 12 mph wind blowing out to left field in Toronto. That's prime conditions for extra-base hits, especially with Vladdy Jr and Chapman both pulling the ball consistently. I'd rather bet on their remaining talent than fade them based on one player being out.

WinnipegJack's missing the bigger picture here. That 4% contact rate difference is noise compared to the real issue - Kirk's .341 OBP from the 2-hole comes from a tiny sample where he was protecting 8-9 hitters, not setting up for Guerrero and Bautista. When Kirk's hitting second, the Yankees can pitch around him knowing the bottom of the order follows.

The sharps hammered Under 5.5 down to 5 flat within 20 minutes of the Bichette news breaking. You're chasing steam at this point, and the BetOnline juice moved from -108/-112 to -118/-102 Under for a reason. Yankees relievers have a 2.87 ERA in their last 12 games - this total was soft at 5.5 with Bichette in the lineup.