The Yankees are headed to Toronto for the first time this season after winning the first series at home.
New York leads the AL East with a 48-35 record, while Tampa Bay and Toronto trail by 1.5 and three games, respectively. Monday’s contest between the first and third place teams will begin a four-game series.
Carlos Rodon and Max Scherzer will face off on the mound for the opener Monday night at 7:07 p.m. ET.
The Yankees are -145 favorites on the moneyline, and the game total is set at over/under 8.5 runs on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Blue Jays are +119 underdogs.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Monday’s Blue Jays vs. Yankees matchup.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees prediction
This pitching duel may have been more exciting a few years ago, but it’s still a big-name matchup. Scherzer is in his 18th, and likely last, season in the majors as he holds a 5.63 ERA across two starts.
On the other side, Rodon is having his best season since 2022. He owns a 2.92 ERA through 101.2 innings, finally looking like the pitcher the Yankees spent $162 million over six years for. He still has his poor outings, but he’s coming off a six-inning performance in which he allowed zero runs and four hits against the Reds.
Beside the pitching matchup, the Yankees have a far superior offense. New York has scored 422 runs while allowing just 309 for a +113 differential. Toronto, however, has a -4 differential as it’s scored 365 runs to 369 allowed.
Having Aaron Judge gives the Yankees an edge, of course, but the rest of the lineup has been solid, too. Judge is slashing .356/.458/.722 with 110 hits, 5.9 WAR and 1.180 OPS, all of which lead MLB. He also has 30 home runs, 67 RBI and an AL-leading 73 runs and 56 walks.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees pick, best bet
Sometimes, there’s no need to get fancy with betting. Stick with the favorites as they’re favored for a reason.
The Yankees win both the pitching and hitting matchups against the Blue Jays. While the teams are just three games apart in the AL East standings, the talent gap is much greater. Toronto has a negative run differential compared the New York’s MLB-leading +113.
New York is favored -145 on the moneyline, which is the best bet for this matchup. If that’s not enough juice, Yankees -1.5 is at +112 on DraftKings Sportsbook.