- The Royals host the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday night
- Clarke Schmidt starts for the Yankees against Seth Lugo for the Royals
- Below, find the Royals vs Yankees picks, predictions, and best available odds for Oct. 9
After falling behind early in Game 2, the Kansas City Royals (86-76, 45-36 home) stormed back for a 4-2 win to even their best-of-five ALDS with the New York Yankees (94-68, 50-31 away) and, as the series shifts to Missouri for Game 3, the Royals have an excellent chance to push the Pinstripes to the brink of elimination. First pitch at Kauffman Stadium is scheduled for 6:08 pm CT/7:08 pm ET on Wednesday night.
New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royal Predictions
- Royals moneyline (-102) at DraftKings
- Under 7.5 runs (+110) at ESPN Bet
Sascha Paruk’s 2024 MLB playoff betting record: 10-8 (+2.47 units). All wagers 1 unit unless expressly stated otherwise.
The Yankees were the best road team in all of baseball this year, and 28-year-old Clarke Schmidt is a quality arm to be rolling out in Game 3 of a best-of-five. But Schmidt hasn’t had a lot of success against the Royals in his brief MLB career. The current KC lineup has 51 total ABs against the 6’1 righty and mashed a .314 average and 1.006 OPS with four home runs (one each from Adam Frazier, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Massey, and Salvador Perez).
Schmidt also showed signs of fading down the stretch. In his final four starts of the regular season, his ERA went up from 2.41 to 2.85. In the last two, he allowed seven runs on seven hits and five walks over just 9.1 innings, though he was still getting swings-and-misses (12 Ks).
Lugo, on the other hand, only allowed more than two earned runs in one of his final six starts, lowering his ERA from 3.05 to 3.00 in that span. He was also solid (if not spectacular) in the Wild Card round against Baltimore, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over 4.1 innings with six Ks.
His numbers against the Yankee hitters are encouraging: in 96 ABs, he’s held them to a .229 average and .631 OPS with just two long balls (Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton).
The Yankees managed just two runs on seven hits on Monday and as the series shifts to pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium for Game 3, I expect their offensive playoff woes – which date back to the 2022 ALCS against Houston – to continue.
NYY vs KC Game 3 Starters: Schmidt vs Lugo
| Clarke Schmidt | vs | Seth Lugo |
|---|---|---|
| 5-5 | Record | 16-9 |
| 3.75 | ERA | 3.00 |
| 4.87 | xERA | 3.72 |
| 1.18 | WHIP | 1.09 |
| 26.3% | K% | 21.7% |
Best Yankees vs Royals Game 3 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | -115 at BetMGM | -1.5 (+160) at ESPN Bet | O 7.0 (-110) at DraftKings |
| Kansas City Royals | -102 at FanDuel | +1.5 (-180) at bet365 | U 7.5 (-125) at ESPN Bet |
Wednesday’s MLB odds have the Yankees vs Royals moneyline extremely tight, no matter which sportsbook you look at. Most have the line at -115/-105 on New York’s favor, but FanDuel favors the Yankees a little more heavily and, thus, has the best price on a Royals victory at -102.
On the runline, FanDuel actually has the best price on New York -1.5 at +146. The best odds on Kansas City -1.5 are -170 at both Caesars Sportsbook and bet365.
Every book save one has the total listed at 8.0 with -110 odds both ways. The only exception is ESPN Bet, which refuses to list MLB total with whole numbers. ESPN Bet currently has the total at 7.5 but with the under in plus money (O -125/U +105).
The MLB public betting splits for Wednesday show the public hammering the Yankees moneyline, with 79% of moneyline handle on the Pinstripes as of 11:15 am ET.
The New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals are set to face off in Game 3 of their series on October 9th. Both teams have had strong seasons, with the Yankees finishing with a record of 92-70 and the Royals finishing with a record of 84-78.
In Game 1, the Yankees came out on top with a 5-3 victory, thanks to a strong performance from their pitching staff and timely hitting from their lineup. Game 2 saw the Royals bounce back with a 4-2 win, as they were able to capitalize on some mistakes by the Yankees and get a solid outing from their starting pitcher.
Now, as the series shifts to Kansas City for Game 3, both teams will be looking to take control and gain an edge in the series. The Yankees will be sending out their ace, Gerrit Cole, who has been dominant all season long with a 16-8 record and a 3.23 ERA. The Royals will counter with their own ace, Brady Singer, who has put together a solid season with a 10-10 record and a 3.75 ERA.
In terms of predictions, this game is shaping up to be a close one. Both teams have strong pitching staffs and potent lineups, so it could come down to which team is able to execute in key moments. The Yankees will be looking to continue their success at the plate, while the Royals will be hoping to build off their Game 2 win and carry that momentum into Game 3.
As for the best odds, the Yankees are currently favored to win Game 3, with odds of -150. The Royals are the underdogs with odds of +130. However, anything can happen in baseball, so it will be interesting to see how this game plays out.
Overall, Game 3 between the Yankees and Royals is shaping up to be a competitive and exciting matchup. Both teams have the talent and ability to come out on top, so it should be a game worth watching for any baseball fan. Stay tuned for what is sure to be an intense battle on the diamond.
