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The Baltimore Orioles have their home opener as they host the New York Yankees. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Yankees-Orioles prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Orioles' home opener was delayed a day due to potentially bad weather, but coming in at 3-3, the Baltimore fans should be excited about their ball club. The O's took two of three against the Texas Rangers and finally got a complete pitching performance after giving up 27 runs in their three-game series against the Red Sox to start the season. The Yankees come in 4-2 after taking two of three from both the Giants and the Phillies. Aaron Judge started the season where he left off, hitting a home run in his first at-bat of the season. He has added one since and is also currently hitting .348. Can the Orioles slow down the Yankee's bats in their home opener?
Here are the Yankees-Orioles MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Yankees-Orioles Odds
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+122)
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-146)
Over: 8.5 (-112)
Under: 8.5 (-108)
How To Watch Yankees vs. Orioles
TV: YES/MASN
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 3:05 PM ET/ 12:05 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
The Yankees are not hitting particularly well on the season. They are currently 16th in MLB with a .245 average, 16th in on-base percentage, and tied for 19th in total hits on the year. Yet, in typical Bronx Bomber fashion, they are tied for third in MLB with 11 home runs. The power is not all Aaron Judge though, as he only has two of the 11 home runs. Stanton and Torres both have two, and five others guys have added another. The only guy to play all six of their games so far and not send one over the fence is the highly touted rookie Anthony Volpe.
While most of the offense has been driving in runs, Volpe has struggled in the young season. He is currently batting .176 with three singles. He is young and still getting used to the big league, so the slump should not be overly concerning. What should be concerning is the all-or-nothing nature of the offense. Over half of their runs have come from home runs this year, and the Yankees need to figure out how to manufacture runs.
Clarke Schmidt gets his second start of the season for the Yankees today. His first start went poorly, with three runs, five hits, two home runs, and a walk-in in just 3 1/3 innings pitched against the Giants. Schmidt will just be making his seventh career start in this game, but he has never made it to the 5th inning. Schmidt has been primarily used as a reliever in his career, but now as a starter, getting deep into games is a must for Schmidt.
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
The O's are sitting at .500 early in this season, but it is not for lack of offense. The Orioles have 33 RBIs, tied for 5th, 11 home runs which are tied for third, and an OPS of .821, good for 6th in MLB. The Orioles have scored well this year, but that was primarily in the Red Sox series. In the Rangers series, the offense waned, scoring 11 runs in the three games, but that was bolstered by the seven-run output in game two. Cedric Mullins is leading the way so far for the offense, with two home runs and eight RBIs on the season to lead team.
Behind Mullins in terms of RBIs is Ryan Mountcastle, who has six on the season with his two home runs. The Orioles are also getting guys reaching base. Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo both have OBPs over .400, while Austin Hayes is right behind him with a .381 OBP. Their young star is also performing, with Adley Rustchman hitting .296, with a home run and four RBIs. Most of that work was done on opening day, but still, he has been solid.
Dean Kremer will get his second start of the year for the Orioles. Much like Schmidt, his first start did not go well. Kremer gave up five runs, six hits, a walk, and two home runs in just three innings of work. The Longball has been an issue through much of Kremer's career thus far. For his career, he gives up 1.3 home runs per nine innings of work, but that is helped heavily by his 2022 campaign. In 2021, he was giving up 2.9 home runs per nine innings. He has to keep the ball inside Camden Yards in the Orioles to get a win.
Final Yankees-Orioles Prediction & Pick
Both teams have some major similarities. They are both starting guys who do not have amazing track records and struggled in their first starts. Both teams are hitting home runs at a good pace as well. There are some differences though. The Orioles are getting on base more and have the better OPS. The Yankees have better power, but it has not fully shown through this season. The Yankees also have had the better pitching on the season as a whole. That is the biggest difference in the year. The Yankees team ERA is just 2.33, while the Orioles' is 5.40. That will be the difference. Volpe gets a hit, Judges drives in two, and the Yankees win off another rough start from Schmidt.
Final Yankees-Orioles Prediction & Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+136) and Over 8.5 (-118)
