Friday’s MLB schedule includes the series opener between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. On the road, the Yankees are massive favorites with a -210 moneyline compared to Kansas City’s moneyline of +175. The over/under for the game is set at eight runs.
The Yankees head to Kansas City on the heels of a six-game winning streak that has taken them to the top of the AL East. The caveat is that the two teams the Yankees have swept in those six wins are a combined 12 games under .500. Nevertheless, the Bronx Bombers are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now.
On the contrary, the Royals have lost five of their last seven games after getting swept by the Mariners last weekend. On the bright side, Kansas City took two of three games against the ice-cold White Sox earlier this week. That leaves the Royals at just 7-10 on the season, although that’s good enough for second place in the AL Central right now.
Living the Nightmare
Lefty Kris Bubic is scheduled to get the start for Kansas City on Friday. The 24-year-old already has 33 career starts under his belt and has been solid but unspectacular over the last two seasons. However, the 2022 campaign has been a disaster thus far, as Bubic has lasted just seven innings over three starts, giving up 11 runs on 12 hits for an ERA of 14.14.
The Yankees are the last team a pitcher in that position wants to see, as New York has scored at least ten runs three times in the team’s last four games. As a result, the Yankees are averaging 7.7 runs per game during their six-game winning streak. The only silver lining for Bubic is perhaps he can neutralize left-hand hitting Anthony Rizzo, who has been New York’s best hitter, although Aaron Judge and DJ LeMahieu have also gotten off to hot starts.
The Other Side of the Spectrum
While Bubic has endured a rough start to the season, fellow lefty Nestor Cortes has been outstanding for the Yankees in his first three starts. Heading into Friday’s start, Cortes is rocking a 1.15 ERA, allowing just two runs over 15.2 innings. Even more impressive, the southpaw has struck out 25 batters and only walked three in those 15.2 innings.
Meanwhile, the Royals are averaging just 3.4 runs per game on the season. In fairness, Kansas City has come alive a little, averaging five runs per game over the last five games. But outside of Andrew Benintendi, nobody on the roster has a high average, and outside of Salvador Perez’s five home runs, the Royals haven’t hit for much power.
Pinstripe Power
As the betting odds indicate, this game is a huge mismatch. These two teams are moving in different directions right now on top of the starting pitchers having drastically different seasons to this point. The Yankees are a safe bet to win and will have a little value if bettors pick them to cover the 1.5-run line.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.