The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to avoid a sixth straight loss when they visit the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday night for the start of a three-game series. The Blue Jays dropped two of three games to the Seattle Mariners this past weekend before getting swept by the Astros in Houston earlier this week, falling back below the .500 mark.
New York, meanwhile, dropped two of three to the Guardians in Cleveland but still leads the American League East by two games over the Boston Red Sox.
Both teams were off on Thursday, so they’ll be fresh heading into the series.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Friday’s clash between the Blue Jays and Yankees, courtesy of bet365.
Blue Jays moneyline odds | +110 |
Yankees moneyline odds | -130 |
Runline odds | Yankees -1.5 (+150), Blue Jays +1.5 (-180) |
Game total | Over 9 runs (-110), Under 9 runs (-110) |
Date/time | April 25, 7:05 p.m. ET |
About the Blue Jays (12-13 SU, 16-9 ATS, 9-16 o/u)
Toronto has scored four runs or fewer in seven straight games and eight of its last nine, which isn’t good news heading into a series with the Yankees, one of the best offensive teams in baseball. Houston held the Blue Jays to just two runs on nine hits over three games earlier this week, and Toronto is slashing just .196/.256/.256 over the last seven days with just 12 runs scored.
The Blue Jays have launched just 13 total home runs through 25 games, ranking second-to-last in the majors behind the Kansas City Royals (12 homers). Andrés Giménez leads the team with three bombs, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has just one. Bo Bichette is still looking for his first home run of the season.
Toronto is averaging just 3.5 runs per game (25th in the majors) while allowing 4.16 per game (11th in baseball).
About the Yankees (15-10 SU, 13-12 ATS, 12-11-2 o/u)
The Bronx Bombers are living up to their reputation through the first month of the season, launching a league-leading 41 homers to this point. Aaron Judge, who leads the league with an incredible .415 batting average, already has seven homers to his credit while boasting a 1.247 OPS. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has also gone deep seven times despite hitting just .165 in 91 at-bats.
New York is averaging 5.48 runs per game (second in the majors) while allowing 4.24 runs per game (14th in baseball).
Probable starting pitchers
Toronto: RHP José Berríos (1-1, 5.02 ERA, 7.53 K/9)
Berríos threw six innings of three-run ball with four walks last time out against the Mariners. He’s struggled with control, walking 13 batters over 28 2/3 innings of work, and the righty has been prone to the long ball, allowing six to leave the park through five starts. Berríos wasn’t great in two starts against the Yankees last season, allowing seven earned runs and four homers over 12 innings.
New York: RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 6.53 ERA, 6.53 K/9)
It’s been a rough start for Carrasco. Aside from one outing against the Kansas City Royals, the veteran righty has been hit hard, allowing 15 earned runs over 20 2/3 innings of work.
Opposing batters are hitting over .400 against his fastball and slider, but he’s had decent success with his sinker and changeup. The 38-year-old hurler made two starts against Toronto as a member of the Cleveland Guardians last season, allowing six earned runs over 11 innings of work.
Notable injuries
Pitchers Ryan Burr (shoulder), Erik Swanson (forearm), Nick Sandlin (lat), and Max Scherzer (thumb) are all on the injured list for the Blue Jays. Outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) is nearing a return and could be activated at some point in this series.
New York is missing several key pieces, particularly on the pitching side of things. Ace Gerrit Cole (elbow), right-hander Luis Gil (lat), and righty Marcus Stroman (knee) are all on the injured list. Infielder DJ LeMahieu (calf) and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbow) are also out.
Weather
Forecasts are calling for cloudy skies, a 40% chance of rain, and temperatures around 17 C this evening in The Bronx. Winds will blow from right field to left field at around 10 mph.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays betting trends
- The over is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings between these teams.
- Toronto has the best runline record in the majors this season (16-9).
- The under is 7-2-1 in New York’s last 10 games.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays player prop trends
- Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has hit safely in eight straight games and is -250 to extend that streak. He’s posted four multi-hit games in that span.
- Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk has recorded under 1.5 total bases in seven straight games and nine of his last 10. He’s around -180 to fall under that mark again Friday.
- Carrasco has allowed three earned runs or more in three of his four starts this season. He’s around -105 to allow over 2.5 earned runs.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays best bets
- Aaron Judge over 0.5 RBIs: +105 for one unit (best odds at Sports Interaction). All signs point towards the red-hot Judge having another big game, but online sportsbooks aren’t offering much value on the overs for his player props aside from this one at plus money. Judge, who owns a .382/.463/.882 slash line with five homers and 11 RBIs in 34 career at-bats against Berrios, has driven in at least one run in 11 of his 25 games (44% hit rate) and has 26 overall (second-most in the majors) this season.
- Yankees moneyline: -126 for one unit (best odds at Pinnacle). We’re getting a good price here on a powerful Yankees lineup that has had success against Berrios in the past. Five players in New York’s projected starting lineup (although official lineups aren’t out yet at the time of writing) are hitting .308 or better in their careers against Berrios, and four of them have homered off the Toronto righty at some point. Add in the fact that the Blue Jays couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn right now, and you have the recipe for a Yankees home win in this spot.