The Toronto Blue Jays will try and win a third in a row against the New York Yankees as the two AL East rivals face off at Yankee Stadium again. It is a great time to look at our MLB odds series and create a Blue Jays-Yankees prediction and pick.

The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 4-0 on Friday night. Toronto already led 1-0 when Teoscar Hernandez approached the plate in the fourth inning. Then, Hernandez lifted a shot to deep center field for a two-run home run. It was his 18th blast of the season, giving the Jays a 3-0 lead. They tallied one later, which would seal the win. 

The Jays are eight games behind the Yankees in the AL East after the victory. What was once an insurmountable lead has turned into a potential race. Additionally, the Yankees are just 2-8 over their last 10 games and struggling at the worst time. 

The Jays will turn to Mitch White on the mound today. White is 1-3 with a 3.72 ERA. Recently, he tossed 4 2/3 innings while allowing one earned run on three hits. White also struck out three and walked three. Significantly, he has gone two starts without reaching five innings. 

The Yanks will turn to Gerrit Cole on the hill. Cole is 8-5 with a 3.30 ERA. In his last start, he threw six innings while allowing one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts. Unfortunately, Cole has been the victim of poor run support and is 0-2 in August despite a 3.32 ERA over three starts. He faced Toronto earlier this season, tossing 5 2/3 innings while allowing three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Overall, Cole is 5-1 with a 3.47 ERA over 10 career starts against the Jays. 

Here are the Blue Jays-Yankees MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Yankees Odds

Toronto Blue Jays: +1.5 (-137)

New York Yankees: -1.5 (+114)

Over: 7.5 (-118)

Under: 7.5 (-104)

Why The Blue Jays Could Cover The Spread

The Blue Jays have defeated the Yankees in two ways in this series. First, they blasted multiple runs with home runs and doubles on Thursday. They then managed just four runs yesterday but held the Yanks scoreless. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. combined to go 1 for 9 last night, while Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman went 0 for 8. However, Hernandez provided all the offense they needed in the victory.

It also helped that Kevin Gausman went seven strong innings while allowing four hits. Additionally, he struck out seven batters and only needed 86 pitches to get through the frame. Toronto finished New York off with Yimi Garcia in the eighth and Jordan Romano in the ninth. Thus, the Jays handled the Yanks in a way not many teams have this season. 

The Blue Jays will cover the spread if White can give them five to six strong innings. Additionally, they need their offense to deliver. Gurriel and Guerrerro are essential at the top of the lineup and must do their part. 

Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread

The Yankees are still the second-best team in the AL despite their recent struggles. How bad is it? The Yankees' offense is batting .214 in the month of August. New York is averaging 3.29 runs per game. It is just over half of the 6.42 runs they managed in July? What happened to the high-octane offense, and why is New York struggling? 

Giancarlo Stanton is injured, and the rest of the lineup has not picked up the slack. Aside from Aaron Judge, the lineup has withered and fallen. Last night, DJ LeMahieu went 0 for 4 at the top of the lineup, while Judge went 0 for 2. Additionally, Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson each went 1 for 4, while Andrew Benintendi, their “big” pickup at the trade deadline, went 0 for 4. Gleyber Torres went 1 for 3. Ultimately, the only player to reach second base all night was Judge. It was even more maddening that it all happened early. No Yankee reached scoring position after the first inning. Thus, the Yankees must account for this and do a better job of putting their players in a position to score. 

The Yankees will cover the spread if Cole delivers a high-quality outing. Also, they need their hitters to do something. Judge can only do so much, and solo home runs will not cut it. 

Final Blue Jays-Yankees Prediction & Pick

The slump has to end soon, right? Cole is an ace and a pitcher any team can rely on to end a drought. Expect Cole to rise to the occasion and the offense to muster up enough to cover the odds. 

Final Blue Jays-Yankees Prediction & Pick: New York Yankees: -1.5 (+114)