The Kansas City Royals meet the New York Yankees for the first time since May 2019, opening a three-game series at Yankee Stadium in New York on Tuesday night. Iโve prepared the best Royals vs. Yankees betting pick along with the latest odds update on FanDuel Sportsbook, so letโs take a closer look.
The Yankees are listed as huge -260 favorites to win Tuesdayโs opener, as Gerrit Cole will get the starting nod. On the other side, Kansas City will start Brady Singer, so the Royals are +233 road dogs with a total of 8.0 runs.
The Royals surprisingly won the Red Sox series to break out of their slump
The Kansas City Royals improved to 32-38 on the season following a 7-3 victory to the Boston Red Sox this past Sunday. They finally won the series after three straight defeats, including a couple of sweeps against the Angels and Tigers, as the Royals have dropped 12 of their previous 15 games overall.
Kansas City is averaging 4.23 runs per game (tied-18th in the MLB), slashing .244/.307/.390. Over the last two weeks, the Royals have recorded a .707 OPS (19th) while smashing just 13 homers over their previous 13 outings.
The Royals are yielding 4.80 runs per contest (20th) while posting a 4.67 ERA (23rd). Brady Singer is 3-5 in 14 starts this term and sports a 4.76 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 71/25 K/BB ratio across 68 frames of work. The 24-year-old right-hander has never met the Yankees before.
The Yankees hope to get more from their offense
The New York Yankees are coming off a 2-1 victory to the Oakland Athletics this past Sunday, recording their fifth win in the last six outings. The Yankees improved to 38-33 on the season, but they were still four games behind the Rays and four and a half games behind the Red Sox.ย
The Bombersโ offense has been a huge disappointment so far this season, tallying just 3.96 runs per game (tied-24th in the majors) on a .232/.315/.389 slash line. Over the last two weeks, the Yankees have improved, slashing .253/.314/.478 and slugging 21 home runs through 11 games in that span.
The Yankees surrender 3.96 runs per contest (9th) while recording a 3.56 ERA (8th). Gerrit Cole is 8-3 in 14 starts this season, carrying a 2.31 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 117/12 K/BB ratio across 89.2 innings of work. The 30-year-old righty is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA in four career starts against the Royals.
Trends:
Kansas City:
- 3-12 in the last 15 games overall
- 1-6 in the last seven games on the road
NY Yankees:
- 5-1 in the last six games overall
- 10-3 in the last 13 games against Kansas City
Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees Pick
The Yankees shouldnโt have too much problems beating the Royals on Tuesday, especially if Gerrit Cole put on another top-notch performance. New Yorkโs top ace searched for his third straight victory, and Cole has allowed a couple of earned runs in each of his previous two starts while punching out 13 in the process.
The current Royals are batting only 10-for-69 against Cole. As Iโve mentioned, the Yankeesโ offense has improved recently, so Iโm expecting the hosts to provide enough run support for their best pitcher.
Pick: Take New York Yankees at -260ย ย
Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees Total:
I would stick with the hosts to win despite some unattractive odds. The Yankees desperately need to extend their good run of form, and betting on New York seems like a slam dunk.
On the other side, the Royalsโ pitching staff has recorded a poor 6.14 ERA over the last 15 days and 13 games. Kansas City could easily struggle against the Yankeesโ offense, but with Gerrit Cole on the mound, Iโll opt with the under.
Pick: Go under 8.0 runs at -110