The Yankees and Royals face off in an AL matchup at 8:08 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The forecast for Thursday's game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees, while the Royals are going with Michael Wacha.
New York is 94-68 this season, while the Royals are 86-76. The Yankees are currently the favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at -152 compared to the Royals at +130. The over/under line is at 7.5 runs.
New York vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Yankees at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Thursday, October 10th
- Betting Odds NYY -152 | KC +130 O/U 7.5
Yankees vs Royals Last Game Recap
New York picked up a 3-2 road win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Yankees had a huge 5th inning, scoring all three of their runs. As for the Royals, they scored their only two runs in the 5th and had just six hits for the game.
Clarke Schmidt got the start for the Yankees, going just 4 2/3 innings while giving up two runs and striking out four. Tommy Kahnle got the win out of the bullpen, and Luke Weaver got the save. Seth Lugo only went five innings for the Royals, giving up two earned runs on two hits.
Giancarlo Stanton hit the game's only home run while going 3/5 with two RBIs. He scored all three of the Yankees' runs. As for the Royals, they were led by Whit Merrifield, who went 2/4 with two runs scored.
Yankees Preview
Leading their series against the Royals 2-1, the Yankees are on the road for game four, looking to secure a win and advance. New York posted a 50-31 road record during the regular season, compared to 44-37 at home. As road favorites, they went 34-25 this year.
New York’s run line record is 84-81 overall, including 49-33 on the road. As favorites, they went 62-77 against the run line. The Yankees’ games have averaged 9.1 runs this season, while today’s over/under is set at 7.5 runs. The under has hit in their last two games.
New York is sending right-hander Gerrit Cole to the mound today vs. the Royals. He has made 17 starts this season and has a record of 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA. Cole's WHIP for the season is currently 1.13. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going five innings and giving up three earned runs on four hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Cole's last outing was on October 5th, so he will be pitching on regular rest today. Opponents are batting .211 off Cole this season, and he has allowed a total of 11 homers.
So far this season, the Yankees offense is 3rd in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are the league's top home run hitting team and have the 3rd best team slugging percentage in the league. As a team, the Yankees are batting .248, which is 7th best in the league.
Right now, Aaron Judge is the league's top home run hitter and has the most RBIs in the league. This season, he is batting .322 and has an OBP of .458. However, he has gone just 5/25 in his last seven games. Juan Soto is also having a strong season for the Yankees, as he is batting .288 and has gone 9/28 in his last eight games. Soto has 41 homers this season, which is 4th best in the league.
Royals Preview
Facing a must-win game four against the Yankees, the Royals are looking to even the series, which New York leads 2-1. Kansas City finished the regular season with an 86-76 record, going 45-36 at home and 41-40 on the road. They’ve lost seven straight at home and have a 15-15 record as home underdogs.
During the regular season, the Royals went 94-73 against the run line, with a +0.5 average run margin at home. As underdogs, their run line record is 53-33. The under has hit in their last two games, and their overall over/under record is 70-92. Today’s 7.5-run line is below their season average of 8.4 runs.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Yankees on October 5th, he went 4 innings, giving up 3 earned runs, 3 walks, and 1 home run. Looking back further, Wacha has made 14 quality starts this season and has a record of 13-8. His ERA for the season is 3.35, along with a WHIP of 1.19. For the year, he has given up 17 homers and is averaging 7.83 strikeouts per nine innings. Wacha's ERA on the road is 4.0 compared to 3.47 at home.
Heading into today's game, Bobby Witt Jr. has been the Royals' top hitter this season, as he is batting .332 and has gone deep 32 times. His 109 RBIs are 5th in the league. Salvador Perez is also having a strong season at the plate, with a batting average of .271 and 27 homers. Perez is currently on a six-game hitting streak but has gone just 6/28 in his last seven games.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game and have been a bit better at home, where they are 9th in the league at 4.7 runs per contest. Overall, they are 7th in team batting average and are 2nd in the league in strikeouts. However, they are near the bottom of the league in walks and have a collective on-base percentage of just .306.
Yankees vs. Royals Prediction: Yankees ML -152
Our predicted final score for this Yankees vs. Royals matchup is 4-3 in favor of the Yankees. With the Yankees predicted to pick up the win, we recommend taking them on the money line, where the payout is at -152.
If you're looking for a potential player prop bet, we have Gerrit Cole finishing with six strikeouts compared to Michael Wacha with five. As for the offenses, we have the Yankees finishing with eight team strikeouts compared to the Royals with nine.
