Blue Jays vs Yankees Odds, Lines, and Spread – April 1st

• The Blue Jays and Yankees meet on Opening Day in the Bronx on Thursday, April 1st
• New York open as -190 favorites against Toronto
• Get our full odds, preview, and pick for the first of a three-game set below

After wrapping up Spring Training down in Florida earlier this week, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees will kick things off on Opening Day for a classic AL East matchup on Thursday, April 1st, first pitch 1:05 pm EST.

Jays’ ace Hyun Jin Ryu will take the mound for the visitors, while three-time All-Star Gerrit Cole will get the ball for the Bronx Bombers.

Blue Jays vs Yankees Odds

Odds as of March 31

The latest Blue Jays vs Yankees odds are favoring Aaron Boone’s squad at -190, but this could very well be a pitcher’s duel with two quality arms on the bump for their respective teams. In 2020, Toronto and New York split their season series with five wins apiece.

Blue Jays Relying on Young Core

The story for the Jays this season will be just how far their bats can take them, specifically Bo Bichette, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr, among others. Toronto is on the cusp of being a very good team and with some key offseason additions, their potent offense could definitely make some noise in the American League.

Springer was the big name the Blue Jays brought in, but his status for Thursday’s season opener is up in the air due to an oblique strain. Nonetheless, his electric bat should fit perfectly atop the Jays lineup.

The area where issues could arise is on the mound, though. Their 2-5 spots in the rotation remain in question due to injuries, with number one prospect Nate Pearson going on the shelf while closer Kirby Yates will miss the whole season due to Tommy John surgery.

Final Charlie Manager spring zoom:
– George Springer had another MRI 2day, and “we won’t know results until tonight or tomorrow.”
– no decision yet on rotation past Hyun-Jin Ryu. Waiting to see how guys feel health-wise
– Tues off-day, Wed workouts including sim gms#BlueJays pic.twitter.com/Kf5NlXmK8G

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 29, 2021

It all comes down to Ryu, who put together a fine campaign in 2020, posting a 2.69 ERA and finishing third in AL Cy Young voting. He will have it tough on Thursday though against a Yankees lineup who tear the cover off the baseball. Ryu compiled a 3.75 ERA against NY in 2020 in two starts, giving up five earned in 12 innings of work.

Yankees Career Stats vs Ryu

As a whole, the Yankees have enjoyed a respectable amount of success against Ryu in their careers.

Cole Leading The Way

After a condensed 2020 season, Cole will be one of just a few names across the bigs with the ability to inch close to the 200-inning mark this year. He was solid last year as well, going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA.

The former number one overall pick will be the workhorse of the Yankees’ rotation, with Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery, and Domingo German rounding out the starting five.

Offensively, the Yanks will once again be one of the most dangerous teams in the MLB. They didn’t swing it particularly well in the spring, hitting just .215. But we know that usually doesn’t play much of a factor.

However, New York will be without 2020 home run leader Luke Voit until May, who opted to undergo knee surgery. Bounce back campaigns from Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, and several other important hitters will be crucial to the team’s success.

MLB INJURY ALERT: Yankees 1B Luke Voit (knee) is expected to miss at least three weeks. pic.twitter.com/77z2Z3zo5E

— DK Nation (@dklive) March 27, 2021

As for Cole, he faced the Jays in spring training, giving up just one run across five innings while striking out eight. Last season, the Yankees ace faced Toronto twice, posting a 1.29 ERA in 15 innings.

Blue Jays Career Stats vs. Cole

Cole has basically dominated every single hitter in the Jays lineup, although it’s been a small sample size.

Best Bet

I believe Ryu will keep Toronto in this game, but it’s going to be very difficult to outdo Cole on the hill.

The hard-throwing righty is 16-3 across the last two seasons at Yankee Stadium with a sharp 2.36 ERA. With a 20% capacity of fans in the stands as well, I believe Cole and New York will thrive on Opening Day in the Bronx and grab a big victory to get things started on the right foot.

Also, considering there are two top-tier arms taking the mound, the under definitely has value here.

Pick: New York Yankees (-190), Under 7.5 Runs (+100)

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