Athletics vs Yankees Prediction - MLB Picks 5/8/23

New York Yankees (18-16) vs Oakland Athletics (8-26)

Game Info: Monday, May 8, 2023 at 7:05 pm (Yankee Stadium)

Nestor Cortes (3-2) (4.91) vs JP Sears (0-2) (5.06)

Betting Odds: New York Yankees -215 / Oakland Athletics +196 --- Over/Under: 11 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Oakland Athletics will head out to the Bronx to start a three-game set with the New York Yankees this Monday from Yankee Stadium on YES.

Athletics Betting Preview

Oakland moved to 8-29 after taking two of three from Kansas City. The Athletics nearly completed their first sweep of the season, and they’ll attempt to replicate that effort here at Yankee Stadium. The Oakland offense is scoring 2.81 runs per game, while batting .232, with a .313 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 7.29 ERA, with a 1.74 WHIP. Brent Rooker produced four RBI in the two wins over KC, and he leads the team in batting (.319), HR (10), and RBI (26). Esteury Ruiz has come alive with hits in nine straight games, with a RBI in five of the last seven.

JP Sears (0-2, 5.06 ERA, 34 Ks) will get the ball for Oakland. The second-year lefty put together his best start of the season last week versus Seattle, striking out seven over six shutout innings. Sears carries some momentum into this matchup with his former team, but he may have a tough time with this Yankees lineup.

Yankees Betting Preview

New York fell to 18-17 after dropping two of three to Tampa Bay. The Yankees fought hard with the AL-leading Rays, and they’ll look to avenge a pair of one-run losses in this series. The New York offense is scoring 3.92 runs per game, while batting .228, with a .298 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 3.54 ERA, with a 1.17 WHIP. Anthony Rizzo has been the glue so far this season in the Bronx, and after recording a hit in eight of the last ten games, he leads the Yanks in hits (35) batting average (.282). DJ Lemahieu (.279) remains a consistent threat at the plate, and he’s carrying a six-game hit streak into this series. Rizzo and Lemahieu are tied with Aaron Judge for the team-lead in RBI at 14.

Nestor Cortes (3-2, 4.91 ERA, 35 Ks) will open the game for Oakland. The sixth-year lefty will look to avenge a pair of road losses to Texas and Minnesota that saw him allow a combined ten earned runs. Cortes has been better at home this season (2-0, 3.00 ERA), and the A’s should give him a perfect lineup to bounce back against. Cortes has also cleared six strikeouts in each of his last four starts.

Oakland vs New York Trends

Oakland is 15-20 against the spread this season, with a 21-12-2 O/U record. New York is 17-18 ATS this year, with a 11-22-1 over/under record.

Corey’s Free Pick

The Yankees have played well collectively and survived the storm with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the shelf, and this series gives them a great chance to stay afloat. Oakland shined in Kansas City but they're about to come back down to earth out in the Bronx this week. New York knows how important it is to win manageable home games, and I think they set the tone with a series opening victory. Back the Yankees in game one.