There is perhaps no bigger confidence booster for a team than heading into the All-Star Break in the MLB with the lead in the division. As nice as it is to get to the midway point of the season with a lead, every team sitting atop their division will know that there is still a lot of work to be done before they can truly start thinking about the playoffs and a potential run at the World Series. You can argue that the teams best equipped for the second half run are those who have been there before, as experience can often be one of the deciding factors in a run to the playoffs.
If that is indeed the case, then you need to like the New York Yankees to go from strength to strength in the second half of the season. The Yankees ended the first half of the season with a very nice lead atop the AL East and they will look to get off back to a fast start when they host the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend in a series where the Yankees should be firm MLB Betting favorites.
Blue Jays vs Yankees MLB Odds & Expert Pick for Friday Night
- When: Friday, July 12 at 7:05 PM EST
- Where: Yankee Stadium, NYC
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: WFAN
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: TBA
Rays vs Orioles MLB Week 15 Odds & Analysis
Why bet on the Toronto Blue Jays?
The Toronto Blue Jays were a regular in the postseason for a couple of years in the recent past, but as a small market team, they were unable to hold their high-priced group of players together, eventually forced to ditch salaries and start looking at a rebuild. They are still in the construction phase now, which is making for a long season this year.The Blue Jays ended the first half with a record of 34-57, which means they will essentially just be playing out the string over the next few months. The Blue Jays actually won their first 2 meetings versus the Yankees this season, but they are now on a run of losing 4 in a row. They are 16-27 SU on the road, but they have been a decent bet ATS in road games, going 23-20 ATS.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.32
- Hits: 7.82
- Walks: 3.13
- Strike Outs: 9.09
Defense
- Runs: 5.24
- Hits: 9.08
- Walks: 3.74
- Strike Outs: 8.16
Why bet on the New York Yankees?
The New York Yankees were expected to be strong this season, but that was cast into a little bit of doubt when they were hammered by injuries in the early going. At one point, they had no less than 13 players on the injured list, yet they still managed to put together a 57-31 record in the first half, a record that is just shy of being the best in the MLB.
The Yankees have won everywhere, but it is their play at home that has been particularly stellar, as they are 31-14 in their own building. The closed out the first half with back to back losses, but still managed to go 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Yankees are a very impressive 27-18 ATS record in their own ballpark.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.72
- Hits: 9.06
- Walks: 3.72
- Strike Outs: 8.92
Defense
- Runs: 4.43
- Hits: 8.52
- Walks: 3.03
- Strike Outs: 9.26
Nationals vs Phillies MLB Lines, Game Info & Pick
Blue Jays vs Yankees MLB Betting Trends
- Blue Jays are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games against an opponent in the American League East division
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto’s last 11 games on the road
- Yankees are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees’ last 12 games against Toronto
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Blue Jays vs Yankees
At the time of writing, the starting pitchers for this game had yet to be announced. Regardless of how that plays out, you would still expect the Yankees to open the second half of the season with a comfortable win over the Blue Jays.Score: Toronto Blue Jays 3 – New York Yankees 6
