Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees: Odds, Prediction
Behind ace Gerrit Cole, the Yanks are favoured on the MLB odds.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees 4/1/21 Betting Analysis
MLB is planning for a full 162-game regular-season schedule this season, but keep in mind there will be no designated hitter for games in National League parks like there was last year (barring a last-minute agreement between the Players’ Association and owners). Also in 2020, teams only played games inside their own division but that no longer will be the case.
Two rule changes from the abbreviated 2020 season remain in effect: Doubleheaders will feature seven-inning games, and when any game goes to extra innings a runner will be placed on second base to begin each half-inning.
Tampa Bay is the defending AL East champion, but the Yankees are -185 favourites to win the division this season with the Jays next at +247. Toronto is given an Over/Under win total of 86.5 games (at least 155 must be played) with the Over a -149 favourite. To make the playoffs – it has reverted back to the three division champions and two wild-card teams, barring a last-minute change – the Jays are -147 with no at +105.
Blue Jays-Yankees Probable Pitchers
The Yankees and Jays split 10 games last season. Toronto lost all three at Yankee Stadium, however, by a combined score of 43-15. New York scored double-digit runs in all three. In one of those, the Yanks tied a major league record with five homers in an inning.
New York was relatively quiet this offseason, largely focusing on re-signing second baseman DJ LaMahieu, the reigning MLB batting champion, and adding two starting pitchers in Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon. First baseman Luke Voit led the majors with 22 homers last season but will be out until at least May following recent knee surgery.
The highest-paid pitcher in MLB is Gerrit Cole, and he takes the mound Thursday. The right-hander is a +327 favourite to win the AL Cy Young. Cole was 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 12 regular-season starts last year for the Yankees, his first season with them as a big-ticket free-agent addition.
He was 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in six home starts and 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts vs. the Blue Jays, who only hit a combined .167 off him. Cavan Biggio is 2-for-8 career off Cole with a homer. New Toronto second baseman Marcus Semien, formerly of Oakland, is 2-for-15 with seven strikeouts vs. Cole.
Thursday will be the Blue Jays regular-season debut for Semien, but it’s up in the air whether the team’s major free-agent addition, former Astros outfielder George Springer, will be ready as the former World Series MVP is dealing with an oblique injury. Toronto got terrible news on another major acquisition as projected closer Kirby Yates had season-ending Tommy John surgery recently. Jordan Romano is expected to get the first shot at closing.
It’s lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (+1200 to win Cy Young) on the mound for the Blue Jays. The former Dodger was third in the 2020 AL Cy Young voting in his first season with Toronto, going 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 12 regular-season starts. He was 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts vs. the Yankees, who hit .229 against him. LaMahieu is 6-for-26 career off Ryu. Aaron Judge is 2-for-4 with a homer.
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