Royals vs. Yankees Predictions, Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers: Today, 4/16
After some rough weekend series for the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees, neither team had any time to dwell on it before starting their series against one another back on Monday. Now getting ready for today’s series finale, we’ve got our best Royals vs. Yankees predictions for you.
Whether you end up liking our Royals vs. Yankees picks or not, we’ll also be hooking you up with a generous $1,000 Underdog promo code bonus!
Royals vs. Yankees Predictions For MLB On Wednesday, 4/16
Wasting no time in getting a fresh series started is no stranger to MLB teams, but what makes Royals vs. Yankees predictions special in particular is that this series is a playoff rematch. These teams met in the ALDS, or second round, last year, which saw New York advance in 3-1 fashion.
Now that we’re at the series finale for this one, you’ve likely seen that this was a rematch, so how will this one end up? Well, it started just as most likely expected - with home runs. The Yankees torpedo bats were all the rage to start the year, and they scored all four runs with homers to begin the series.
Now it’s time to determine if they can close it out the same way it began. It’s a Kris Bubic vs. Clarke Schmidt matchup on the mound, which is where all Royals vs. Yankees predictions should start.
Kansas City Royals: Kris Bubic Blasting Off
If you were to tell Royals fans that arguably their most impressive piece was on the mound rather than with Bobby Witt Jr, they’d call you crazy. Well, no one told starter Kris Bubic that. The lefty has been off to an explosive start, even if his last outing was recorded as a loss.
In his three starts this year, Bubic has an ERA of just 0.96, and perhaps most importantly these days, he’s been able to pitch at least six innings in all three games. Across those outings, he’s recorded an average of seven strikeouts, but of course, the Yankees lineup will be quite a tall task to repeat those performances.
New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt Returns From Injury
Prior to the season, the Yankees knew that they would be starting it without ace Gerrit Cole (again). So, they also knew that former reliever Clarke Schmidt would also remain a starter, but he had a right shoulder injury which also put him on the 15-day injured list to start the year. So, tonight will be his return.
He was diagnosed with right rotator cuff tendinitis, but after two rehab starts, he’s ready to take the mound against the Royals. Schmidt didn’t toe the rubber against Kansas City in last year’s playoffs, or at all last season for that matter, so it will be a fun matchup against the likes of Bobby Witt
How To Watch Royals vs. Yankees Today
Make sure that you’re able to watch our Royals vs. Yankees predictions play out - here’s how to watch Royals vs. Yankees today:
- Where: Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
- When: 7:05 PM ET on 4/16
Royals vs. Yankees Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
So that we can properly get into our best bet, here are the latest Royals vs. Yankees odds for tonight:
- Run Line: Kansas City Royals -1.5 (+125) vs. New York Yankees +1.5 (-150)
- Money Line: Kansas City Royals (-150) vs. New York Yankees (+125)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 7.5 (+100) vs. Under 7.5 (-120)
Royals vs. Yankees Best Bet: Over 7.5 (Add Player Projections At Underdog)
It was New York who had a lefty on the mound last night with Max Fried, and as mentioned, it’s what they’ll be facing themselves tonight with Kris Bubic. That’s key for Royals vs. Yankees picks, as we have some contradicting factors at play.
We broke down how great of a season Bubic has had to this point, but on the other hand, the Bronx Bombers have been blasting off against the lefties this year. Their .884 OPS against southpaws this season cannot be overlooked, as it is the absolute best in the league.
We’re willing to trust that lineup not just because of guys like Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt, but also because of the similarity that Bubic has to Clarke Schmidt. While he may be different in the sense that he’s a lefty, the similarity is the fact that he too is a former pitcher out of the bullpen.
All 27 of Kris Bubic’s appearances last season were in relief, including two that came against the Yankees. Perhaps what is even more interesting about the Royals pitcher is that he was once a starter before getting relegated to the ‘pen. All that to say that we expect a bit of regression facing a Yankees lineup that mashes lefties.
Combine that with the fact that New York’s Clarke Schmidt is making his first start of the season, and we see a recipe for plenty of runs. Therefore, the best bet from our Royals vs. Yankees predictions is on the over 7.5 runs (Underdog’s daily fantasy lineups pair perfectly with high-scoring games).
Royals vs. Yankees Injury Report & Starting Pitchers
Again, Schmidt finds himself a part of the Yankees rotation with Gerrit Cole injured for quite some time, and New York also still has concerns regarding fellow starters Marcus Stroman & Luis Gil and slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
As for Royals vs. Yankees injury news in Kansas City, they are extremely healthy in terms of who they plan to have on the diamond on a daily basis, so we can get right into today’s Royals vs. Yankees expected starters:
- Kansas City Royals starting pitcher today: Kris Bubic (2-1, 0.96 ERA)
- New York Yankees starting pitcher today: Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 0.00ERA)
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Player News
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Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
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Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
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José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
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