Royals vs. Yankees: MLB Picks and Predictions for October 7th

Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
Date: Monday, October 7th, 7:38 ET
Location: Yankee Stadium
TV: TBS
Money Line: Royals +131/Yankees -152
Total Line: 7.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the New York Yankees and the Royals on Monday, October 7th at Yankee Stadium. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Carlos Rodón will start for the Yankees on Monday as they host the Royals at Yankee Stadium in New York. New York comes in with a record of 94-68, while the Royals are 2nd in the AL Central with an overall record of 86-76.

The moneyline odds have the Yankees as the favorite at -152, while the odds of a Royals upset are sitting at +131. First pitch for this one is set for 7:38 PM ET, and TBS is carrying it on TV.

Royals vs. Yankees Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Kansas City Royals: 86-76 SU / OU 70-90 / Runline 92-73
New York Yankees: 94-68 SU / OU 87-71 / Runline 84-79

It was a close game in the most recent game of this Yankees vs Royals series. New York went into the matchup as -202 favorites and squeaked out a 6-5 win. Kansas City had a late rally, scoring two runs in the 6th and another three in the 7th, but could only muster one run in the 9th.

Gerrit Cole got the start for the Yankees, going just five innings while giving up three runs and striking out four. He did not factor in the decision, as Clay Holmes got the win out of the bullpen. Luke Weaver got the save. Michael Wacha only went four innings for the Royals, giving up three earned runs on four hits.

New York’s offense was led by Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto, who each had three hits and two RBIs. Torres and Alex Verdugo both homered for the Yankees. As for the Royals, MJ Melendez went 2/4 with a home run and two RBIs.

Royals Records & Recent Play

As the Royals prepare for game two of their series against the Yankees, they find themselves down 1-0 and on the road. Kansas City finished the regular season with an 86-76 record, going 45-36 at home and 41-40 on the road. As favorites, they posted a 50-31 mark, while they went 38-46 as underdogs.

During the regular season, the Royals had a run line record of 92-73, with a +0.6 average run margin per game. They’ve covered the run line in their last five road games. The under has been a strong trend for Kansas City, with their over/under record sitting at 70-90. Today’s 7.5-run line is below their season average of 8.4 runs.

Yankees Records & Recent Play

As the Yankees prepare for game two of their series against Kansas City, they hold a 1-0 lead and look to extend their advantage at home. New York finished the regular season with a 94-68 record, going 44-37 at home and 50-31 on the road. They’ve won two straight games as favorites and at home.

New York’s run line record stands at 84-79, with a home run margin of +0.4 compared to +1.4 on the road. At home, their run line record is 35-47. The Yankees’ over/under record is 87-71, and the over has hit in their last three games. Today’s 7.5-run line is below their season average of 8 runs.

Pitching Matchup

Cole Ragans gets the start for the Royals today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Orioles, where he picked up the win. In that start, he went six innings and didn’t give up a run, finishing with eight strikeouts. Looking back at his last three outings, Ragans has finished with a no-decision in each one. His ERA for the season is 3.14, along with a record of 11-9. Opponents have hit just .206 off Ragans this season, and he has a total of 223 strikeouts. For the year, he has one complete game shutout and 21 quality starts.

Carlos Rodón gets the start for the Yankees today and comes in with a record of 16-9 and an ERA of 3.96. Out of his 32 starts, Rodón has turned in 16 quality starts and is averaging 10.03 strikeouts per nine innings. Rodón has a WHIP of 1.22 and most recently finished with a no-decision vs. the Pirates, giving up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won three straight starts. So far, he has been much better at home, going 9-2 with a 3.58 ERA compared to 7-7 with a 5.25 ERA on the road.

Royals vs. Yankees Offense Outlook

So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. At home, they have been even better, putting up 4.8 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .248, which is 7th in the league, and are near the top of the league in terms of avoiding strikeouts. Kansas City’s offense has been led by Bobby Witt Jr., who is batting .332 with 32 homers and 109 RBIs.

Michael Massey and Salvador Perez are both on four-game hitting streaks heading into today’s game. Massey has gone 8/21 in his last six games, while Perez is batting .271 for the season and has gone deep 27 times.

Heading into today’s game, the Yankees lead the MLB in home runs and are 3rd in the league in runs per game at 5. As a team, they are batting .248, which is 7th in the league, and are also the top team in terms of drawing walks. New York’s offense has been especially good at home this season, averaging 5.3 runs per game.

Aaron Judge has been on a tear of late, hitting five home runs in his last seven games while going 8/24 overall. For the season, he is batting .322 with 144 RBIs and is the league’s leader in home runs. Juan Soto is also among the league’s top home run hitters, as he is 4th in the league with 41 homers.

Free Royals vs. Yankees MLB Pick

Cole Ragans is coming off a month of September, in which he gave up just three earned run, and went at least six innings in all four outings. He did face the Yankees back on September 11th, giving up two earned runs across six innings. Rodon faced the Royals in September, giving up two homers across six innings. For game two, I like the Royals to even the series, and like them on the money line.