Yankees vs. Blue Jays Odds
| Blue Jays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+110 | 8.5 -110 / -110 | +1.5 -175 |
| Yankees Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-130 | 8.5 -110 / -110 | -1.5 +150 |
Two beasts of the AL East will square off for the first time this season as the Toronto Blue Jays head to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees. Both of these clubs are trailing the Rays in the standings, but just a game separates them from each other, so this series could give the victor a boost toward the top.
Getting the ball for the Yankees in this series opener will be Domingo German. German was fantastic his last time out, as he struck out 11 over six-plus innings and allowed just one run. However, it was not without a bit of controversy as German was checked for foreign substances and asked to wash his hands, but ultimately was not ejected. It will be interesting to see if he has another "clean" outing tonight.
Opposing him will be Yusei Kikuchi of the Jays. Kikuchi was also great his last time out, as he dominated the Rays order for six innings. Although tonight, he'll be up against a lineup that has a great history against him.
Which starter will continue to deal tonight and lead their team to victory? Let's dig in to find out in my Blue Jays vs. Yankees preview.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays' offense was feared last season as hitters up and down the order could make hard contact and drive the ball. However, through 19 games this season, only three hitters have above-average contact rates.
Those three are Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman. Unfortunately, while those three have been tearing the cover off the ball, the rest of the order has been underwhelming.
This Toronto lineup will face potentially the best version of German we have ever seen. His stuff has been fantastic as he enters this start with a whiff rate among the top eight percent of all qualified pitchers.
The key for him has been his curveball. It's his primary pitch now, as he's thrown it nearly 42 percent of the time. In addition, he appears to have maximized the pitch as he's throwing it 2 mph harder than last year, and the pitch's spin rate has increased by more than 100 rpms.
Toronto has also struggled against curveball early on this season. The three mentioned above are the only hitters with xBAs over .300 off curveballs, so German may be in line for more success tonight.
New York Yankees
Kikuchi has been an enigma since he joined the Blue Jays. We've known for years now that his stuff is more than capable of baffling big-league hitters, but his command has been his downfall of late.
When I say command, it is not a matter of throwing strikes but rather his location within the zone. He comes into this outing ranking in the bottom 15 percent of the majors in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
Teams have punished his mistakes over the plate, and the Yankees are another lineup with a long history of doing just that. The current Yankees order has accumulated 93 at-bats against Kikuchi and posted very impressive numbers.
As a team, they have hit .280 with an average exit velocity of 93.9 mph. That average exit velocity not only points to continued success tonight but even an improvement on their gaudy numbers.
The righties at the top of the order should feast, as DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge have all seen the ball well from Kikuchi. Look for the Bronx Bombers to get out ahead early.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees Betting Pick
This Toronto team is one I was high on coming into the season. The lineup is formidable, and the Blue Jays made efforts to bolster the pitching staff. However, they have yet to come into form, and tonight they face a team trending in the right direction.
While the Yankees are not quite the offensive juggernaut we saw last season, they are much closer to it than Toronto. We should see them hit Kikuchi very hard and give German early run support.
On the other side, if German can navigate the Blue Jays trio of Chapman, Guerrero and Bichette, he should find success.
Back the Yankees to be up halfway through this one.
Pick: Yankees F5 Moneyline |
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