It's time for a homecoming in the Bronx as the New York Yankees battle the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener on Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Blue Jays-Yankees prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Blue Jays lost 8-0 to the Houston Astros on Wednesday to lose two of three games, which dropped them to 3-4 on the season. Somehow, Toronto managed to get just one hit. They could not do anything despite getting five walks. Also, they left seven runners on base. Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt lasted 4 1/3 innings while allowing four earned runs on nine hits while walking three.
The Yankees defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 in 11 innings to win two of three games and bring their record to 6-1. The Yankees trailed 1-0 in the fourth inning when Aaron Judge blasted a two-run bomb to deep left field for his first home run of the season. It was 2-2 after nine innings, which meant free baseball. Alex Verdugo put the Yankees on top in the 10th inning after he clobbered a two-run blast to right field. Unfortunately, Clay Holmes blew the save after the inning started with a throwing error by Anthony Volpe, which contributed to the D-Backs getting both runs back.
The Yankees retook the lead in the 11th inning to go up 5-4. Then, Judge doubled to right-center field to give them a 6-4 lead. Holmes came back in the game and allowed another run. Ultimately, New York elected to bring in Caleb Ferguson to notch the final two outs.
Yusei Kikuchi will make the start and has a record of 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA. Sadly, he struggled in his last outing, going 4 2/3 innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits, including one home run, while striking out four and walking three in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Marcus Stroman makes the start for the Yanks. He has a record of 1-0 and a 0.00 ERA. Recently, he pitched six innings and allowed three runs, none earned, four hits, struck out four, and walked two in a win over the Astros.
The Yankees won the season series in 2023, going 7-6 against the Blue Jays. Despite that, the Jays were 4-2 in six games in the Bronx. That offers an interesting story as the Jays make their first trip of the year to Yankees Stadium.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Yankees Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: +1.5 (-154)
Moneyline: +142
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+128)
Moneyline: -162
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
How to Watch Blue Jays vs. Yankees
Time: 1:06 PM ET/10:06 AM PT
TV: YES NETWORK
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Jays struggled to do anything against the Astros. In fact, they have mostly struggled to do much of anything over the first seven games. But they did have some results in their first four games against the Rays. Let's look at what the top of the lineup is doing.
George Springer is struggling from the leadoff spot. Somehow, he is only hitting .120 with two home runs and two RBIs. But he also has five strikeouts and four walks. Ultimately, he seems to be the type of player that is all or nothing. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is batting just .208 with one home run, one RBI, and two runs. Therefore, the Jays need him to pick things up quickly. Bo Bichette is hitting just .150 with two RBIs and one run. Furthermore, he is still looking for his first home run of the season. New addition Justin Turner has been a pleasant surprise. So far, he is batting .318 with one home run, four RBIs, and four runs.
The Blue Jays will cover the spread if their offense can get things going to give Toronto an early lead. Then, Kikuchi needs to last at least five innings and limit the damage.
Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Yankees are 6-1 to start the season and have actually looked like the team many thought they would be last season. Amazingly, this hot start also included a sweep of the Astros on the road.
But it's even more amazing they did this without Judge. So far, he has struggled, hitting just .179 with one home run, four RBIs, and five runs. Gleyber Torres has not been much better. Significantly, he is batting just .214 with one RBI, four runs, and one stolen base while striking out six times and walking four times. Volpe has been the great hitter in this lineup. Ultimately, he is clipping .409 with one home run, three RBIs, and six runs while walking four times and striking out six times. But the Yankees need to see more out of Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Sadly, Stanton is batting just .150 with one home run, one RBI, and two runs, while Rizzo is hitting .222 with one RBI and three runs.
The Yankees will cover the spread if they can get off to a hot start against Kikuchi. Also, they need Stroman to pitch well and give their bullpen a good chance.
Final Blue Jays-Yankees Prediction & Pick
The Blue Jays currently have an anemic offense. Thus, it has cost them a lot of chances to win early in the season. If the Jays cannot get at least four runs at Yankees Stadium, they will have no chance to win. Conversely, the Yankees have found ways to win as many games as possible early in the season. Stroman is the better pitcher here and will lead the Yankees to the victory in the home opener. Additionally, it will also help them cover the spread.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Blue Jays-Yankees Prediction & Pick: New York Yankees: -1.5 (+128)
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