The Toronto Blue Jays have had some miserable outings at the plate already this year and, though they edged the New York Yankees yesterday, it could be a familiar bleak story in tonight’s rematch.
An Ernie Clement homer and a solid start from Yusei Kikuchi put Toronto on the path to a much-needed victory in the series opener after the Blue Jays were on the end of a no-hitter and a one-hitter against the Houston Astros earlier in the week.
The Yanks cooled off yesterday after their blistering 6-1 start to the season, but they’re narrow favorites here in the latest MLB odds and send Clarke Schmidt to the mound today against Kevin Gausman.
Check out my MLB picks for the Blue Jays vs Yankees in this April 6 AL East showdown.
Blue Jays vs Yankees odds
Blue Jays vs Yankees predictions
Yesterday felt like a missed opportunity for the New York Yankees, who failed to turn their six hits into a single run and wasted six scoreless innings from Marcus Stroman. But I see a backlash from the hosts in the second game of the series, with the top of the order firing again.
A shoulder injury hampered Kevin Gausman in Spring Training preparation and, though he was steady in last week’s start in Tampa Bay, it’s reasonable to wonder if he’s going to need a few more weeks to settle into a rhythm.
He’s also struggled against the heart of this New York lineup. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton are all hitting at least .290 against Gausman — and Judge has taken him deep thrice in 31 at bats.
But this pick is more about the Toronto Blue Jays’ flailing bats. The visitors are hitting just .176 as a group through eight games with a .579 OPS, and .
I prefer to put my faith in the Yankees’ star hitters to deliver tonight after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette combined for a 0-for-10 afternoon yesterday. The hosts should also have a bullpen edge, with Toronto’s Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson both nearing returns but not expected to feature here.
Clarke Schmidt will have to be a little sharper than he was in his first start in Houston, but I’m still picking New York to grab its first home win of the year.
My best bet: Yankees moneyline (-118 at PROLINE+)
Blue Jays star player prop
Kevin Gausman Under 6.5 strikeouts (-119 at PROLINE+)
The Blue Jays limited Gausman to 69 pitches last week in his first start of the season, but he made good use of them, finishing with 48 strikes and six Ks.
Still, Toronto can’t afford to overextend one of the leaders of its rotation and I expect a similarly cautious approach tonight with the righty’s pitch count.
I’m picking the Under on his strikeouts prop here, especially facing a potent New York line-up that’s had success against him over the years and is likely to make him work harder to get through each inning.
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Blue Jays vs Yankees moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- The Yankees are slight favorites tonight but series between these teams have been too close to call — and they split their six meetings last September
- While Gausman has the experience edge over Schmidt, the New York starter has fared well against Vladdy, George Springer, and Alejandro Kirk, who are a combined 3-for-18 against him
- The Blue Jays have largely played lopsided contests this season, including 10-0 and 8-0 losses in Houston and 8-2 and 9-2 wins in Tampa Bay
- New York’s hot start has come with a heavy dose of Unders. That’s been a winner in six of the Yankees’ eight outings
Trend to know
None of the past nine meetings between these teams have served up more than eight runs. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Yankees
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Blue Jays vs Yankees game info
| Location: | Yankees Stadium, Bronx, NY |
| Date: | Saturday, April 6, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SN1, YES |
Starting pitchers
Kevin Gausman (0-0, 2.08 ERA): Gausman delivered his third straight double-digit win total last year, finishing 12-9 with 237 strikeouts, but Toronto is taking a patient approach with its ace after preseason injury concerns.
Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 5.06 ERA): Schmidt picked up five strikeouts in his first start of the year against the Astros but allowed three runs on seven hits. He started 32 games in 2023, posting a 4.64 ERA.
