Blue Jays vs. Indians ALCS 2016: Live Stream, TV Schedule, Series Odds & Prediction


The 2016 ALCS is scheduled to get underway tonight from Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, as Game 1 of the Blue Jays vs. Indians series will begin. While both teams had great seasons, not many experts had this matchup in their MLB playoff bracket predictions.

According to a CBS Sports report, the two favorites to win the American League pennant, the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox were both upset early on, however, it is hard to call it an “upset” when you lost out to teams that had outstanding seasons.

This series has the makings of an instant classic. You have great hitting and pitching on both sides, and you also have one of the most overlooked things in all of sports – great coaching. Both teams have two of the best in the game when it comes to managers. Many refer to Cleveland’s Terry Francona and Toronto’s John Gibbons as “players’ managers.” In other words, they communicate well and get along with the players, yet they aren’t afraid to speak their minds when need be.

So when you have two teams that are pretty evenly matched, what could be the difference when it comes to winning this ALCS and advancing to the 2016 World Series?

How about home field advantage? While both teams play incredibly well at home, the Indians struggle a bit more on the road than the Blue Jays. The Tribe finished 53-28 (.654), at home, and had a +105 run differential. On the road the Indians played.513 ball, with a (-4) run differential. That’s like night and day.

The Jays on the other hand, weren’t as dominant at home as Cleveland, but they were a bit more consistent overall between the home and the road than the Tribe. Toronto ended the regular season 46-35 (.568), with a +38 run differential at home, however they were equally as good on the road finishing 43-38 (.531), with a +55 run differential on the road.

Jose Bautista leads the Blue Jays. Image by (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Playing away from Rogers Centre doesn’t bother the Blue Jays, just ask the Texas Rangers. Toronto swept the Rangers in their best-of-five ALDS series 3-0, winning the first two games in Arlington, Texas.

Now, stats don’t always indicate how a series will go or which team will win in the end, however if you are curious, the Indians won the 2016 regular season series 4-3.

So what do Las Vegas oddsmakers think about this series? Vegas sports books have the Toronto Blue Jays listed as the favorite in this best-of-seven series at -145, with a come back on Cleveland at +130. What that means is for every $1.45 you wager on Toronto you win $1.00. For every $1.00 you wager on Cleveland you get back $1.30.

Prediction — Cleveland hasn’t been in this position since 2007. They held a 3-1 lead against the Boston Red Sox, however they dropped three straight games and failed to make the World Series. Last season the Toronto Blue Jays were in this exact same spot but failed to advance to the fall classic as they dropped the 2015 ALCS 4-2 to the Kansas City Royals.

The Blue Jays vs. Indians series begins tonight. (Image by Elsa/Getty Images)

Like the Royals before them in 2014, the Jays had to lose to know how to win. Toronto wins this series against the Tribe and advances to the World Series for the first time since 1993.

Baseball fans can watch every game of 2016 ALCS live on TBS. Games will also stream live through TBS.com

Here is a look at the Blue Jays vs. Indians 2016 ALCS schedule.

  • Game 1 — Fri, Oct. 14 — 8 p.m. at Cleveland — TBS
  • Game 2 — Sat, Oct. 15 — 4 p.m. at Cleveland — TBS
  • Game 3 — Mon, Oct. 17 — 8 p.m. at Toronto — TBS
  • Game 4 — Tue, Oct. 18 — 4 p.m. at Toronto — TBS
  • Game 5 — Wed, Oct. 19* – 4 p.m. at Cleveland — TBS
  • Game 6 — Fri, Oct. 21* — 8 p.m. at Cleveland — TBS
  • Game 7 — Sat, Oct. 22* — TBD at Cleveland –TBS

[Featured Image by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images]

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