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The Yankees make the trip to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers! These teams were the top two in the MLB for most of the year, and this matchup was the best in fireworks. It's time to continue our World Series odds series with a Yankees-Dodgers prediction and pick.
Yankees-Dodgers Game 1 Projected Starters
Gerrit Cole vs. Jack Flaherty
Gerrit Cole (1-0) with a 3.31 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched 4.1 innings and gave up two runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts in a Guardians win.
2024 Road Splits: (5-3) 2.49 ERA
Jack Flaherty (1-2) with a 7.04 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched three innings and gave up eight runs on eight hits with four walks and zero strikeouts in a Dodgers loss.
2024 Home Splits: (5-4) 3.44 ERA
Here are the Yankees-Dodgers World Series Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
World Series Odds: Yankees-Dodgers Odds
New York Yankees: +1.5 (-192)
Moneyline: +108
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+158)
Moneyline: -126
Over: 8.5 (-114)
Under: 8.5 (-106)
How to Watch Yankees vs. Dodgers Game 1
Time: 8:08 pm ET/ 5:08 pm PT
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Yankees were the best team in the AL and one of the best teams in baseball this year, and they had a record of 94-68. Their bats and pitching have been great this postseason. Their bats are 5th out of postseason teams, and they have the fourth-best pitching staff. Juan Soto is a huge difference-maker, but Giancarlo Stanton has also been huge for this postseason run. During this postseason run, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Anthony Volpe have been huge. Their pitching has been great, thanks to Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt.
The Yankees are starting Gerrit Cole on the mound, and he has been great up to this point in the postseason. He was great during the regular season with an 8-5 record, a 3.41 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP. Cole has allowed seven runs on 19 hits with six walks and 12 strikeouts through 16.1 innings across his starts this postseason. He has started in three games this postseason, and the Yankees have won all three. Cole has been the best pitcher for the Yankees during this postseason run, but he gets a huge challenge against the Dodgers, especially considering how well that offense has played this year.
The Yankees' biggest key will be their offense in this game and the entire series. Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe, and Gleyber Torres lead in the most important batting categories. Stanton leads in home runs at five and in RBI at 11. Then, Soto leads in batting average at .333, Volpe leads in OBP at .459, and Torres in total hits at 11. This offense has the ability to completely take over games, and they get a good matchup against Jack Flaherty because he had a bad outing in his last start and has been inconsistent overall for the Dodgers this postseason.
Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Dodgers were the team with all eyes on them before the season thanks to their massive spending in the offseason, highlighted by the huge contract given to Shohei Ohtani. They were the best team in baseball during the regular season and finished with a 98-64 record. Their offense has been a top-three unit during this postseason and is tied for second overall, while their pitching has been inconsistent and has struggled in comparison. On offense, Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Freddies Freeman, and Will Smith. The pitching staff has weathered the storm of injuries thanks to Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto being solid in the postseason.
The Dodgers have Jack Flaherty on the mound. He has a 1-2 record, a 7.04 ERA, and a 1.43 WHIP in the postseason. He has allowed 12 runs on 15 hits with seven walks and eight strikeouts in 15.1 innings. The Dodgers are 1-2 in his last three starts this season. Flaherty has been inconsistent this postseason, and this matchup will be tough for him because of how much talent the Yankees have behind the plate.
The Dodgers have the most talent on offense in the MLB, but in the postseason, they have faced some inconsistent play. Still, they are tied for second out of all postseason teams with a .251 batting average. Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, and Max Muncy lead the team in almost every important batting category. Edman leads in batting average at .341 and in total hits at 15. Then, Betts leads in home runs at four and RBI at 12. Finally, Muncy leads in OBP at .468. This is a big matchup against Cole on the mound because he has been great since his injury.
Final Yankees-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
These are two titans in MLB this season. The Yankees have great bats this season, and so do the Dodgers. It comes down to pitching in this first game, and Gerrit Cole is why this first game should be closed. He is more consistent than Jack Flaherty and should be why the Yankees keep it close. The Dodgers might still win with the game at home, but expect the Yankees to cover and start this series on a great game.
Final Yankees-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: New York Yankees +1.5 (-192)
