DJ LeMahieu and the surging New York Yankees will take the field against the Kansas City Royals at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium in a Sunday showdown. The opening pitch is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Kansas City will be showing this AL showdown.
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Odds
Sportsbooks have Kansas City (+130) as the underdog to New York (-140). If you’re thinking this game’s total is going to finish under 10 runs, then bookmakers are teeing up -110 odds. Taking the over will return -110 odds. There’s a runline of Yankees -1.5 (+105) and Royals +1.5 (-125) for this matchup.
The Yankees are 34-17 SU and have gone 28-21 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 6.1 units for moneyline bettors and 6.7 units ATS. The Royals, on the other hand, are 17-34 SU and 23-26 ATS. They’ve lost 9.2 units for moneyline bettors and 9.6 units ATS.
Royals games have an over/under record of 26-20-3 so far in 2019. The Yankees have also been a decent over bet with a total record of 27-21-1.
The right-handed Domingo German will get the nod for New York. German (9-1, 2.60 ERA) has racked up 57 punchouts in 55.1 innings so far. He’s 0-1 with nine strikeouts and a 4.50 ERA against Kansas City this year.
The Royals are turning to lefty Danny Duffy (3-1, 3.45 ERA), who has 23 strikeouts and 11 walks as well as a WHIP of 1.40. Duffy hasn’t faced the Yankees yet this year and only made one start against them in 2018 (0-1, 11.25 ERA and four strikeouts across four innings).
New York’s pitching staff allowed 4.1 runs per game and its starters own a 3.65 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 8.71 K/9. The bullpen has managed an ERA of 3.88, along with a K/9 of 10.74.
The Yankees offense has slashed .258/.339/.448 on its way to 5.4 runs scored per game this year, including 6.8 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 7.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (5-0 SU).
New York’s offense has been fueled by second baseman DJ LeMahieu and shortstop Gleyber Torres, who collectively have belted 16 home runs. LeMahieu is slashing .320/.371/.444 with four home runs, 26 RBIs and 31 runs scored, while Torres is hitting .287 with 12 homers, 26 RBIs and 29 runs scored.
For the home team, Kansas City’s pitchers have given up 5.3 runs per game overall in 2019. Its starters have an ERA of 5.52, a WHIP of 1.49 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.5. The bullpen has a 4.92 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 8.7 K/9.
Kansas City’s offense has produced 4.5 runs per outing, including 4.2 per game over its last 10 games and 4.8 per game over its last five. The team has hit .241/.311/.361 over its last five matchups and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Second baseman Whit Merrifield and shortstop Adalberto Mondesi have led the Royals’ offense this year. Merrifield is hitting .297/.357/.522 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 40 runs and eight stolen bases, and Mondesi’s line is .291/.323/.488 with five homers, 41 RBIs, 29 runs and 18 stolen bases.
The Yankees have lost 0.3 units and are 5-4 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has hit in four of those games, compared to five that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Royals have lost 6.6 units and are 16-20 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 21 of those games, compared to 13 which went under the total.
Yankees at Royals Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Yankees, ATS Winner – Yankees, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The over has cashed in five of New York’s last seven games.
- The Yankees have won 11 of their last 12 games SU.
- New York fielders have 10 errors over the last 10 games, compared to only four errors for Kansas City over its last 10.
- The Yankees have hit 20 home runs in their last 10 games, including 11 over their last five.
- The Yankees have an OPS of .787 this season and an OPS of .683 against left-handed pitchers. The Royals’ OPS stands at .729 overall and .660 against southpaws.
