The Kansas City Royals host the New York Yankees on May 25, 2026. First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Yankees are favored by -154 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Royals are +130 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 9 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Yankees vs Royals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Yankees vs Royals Prediction
- Yankees vs Royals Pick: Yankees ML (-168 or Better)
My Yankees vs Royals best bet is on New York to win. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Yankees vs Royals Odds, Run Lijne
| Yankees Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +108 | 9 -112o / -108u | -154 |
| Royals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -130 | 9 -112o / -108u | +130 |
- Yankees vs Royals moneyline: Yankees -154, Royals +130
- Yankees vs Royals over/under: 9 runs
- Yankees vs Royals spread: Yankees -1.5
Yankees vs Royals Probable Pitchers
| Will Warren (RHP, NYY) | Stat | Michael Wacha (RHP, KCR) |
|---|---|---|
| 6-1 | W-L | 4-2 |
| 1.3 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.0 |
| 3.61 / 3.13 | ERA / xERA | 2.70 / 3.85 |
| 3.01 / 2.87 | FIP / xFIP | 3.87 / 4.08 |
| 22.3% | K-BB% | 14.1% |
| 44.8% | GB% | 36.9% |
| .312 | BABIP | .232 |
| 109 | Stuff+ | 98 |
| 107 | Location+ | 101 |
Yankees vs Royals MLB Betting Preview
Our own Sean Zerillo projects some value on the Yankees in this Memorial Day matchup.
While the consensus line sits around -155, Zerillo projects the Yankees ML above -180, providing a nearly 4% edge against the market.
As a reminder, you can get all of Zerillo's PRO lines on the MLB projections tab.
Yankees vs Royals Pick, Betting Analysis
I never enjoy fading Michael Wacha, who consistently overperforms (over the past five seasons: 3.39 ERA, 4.28 xERA).
However, I’m fine with fading Wacha against the Yankees, who are always a top-five lineup against right-handed pitching.
Also, Wacha overperforms because of a reliance upon his changeup, and the Yankees crush changeups. They rank third among MLB lineups in xwOBA against the pitch (.323), behind a league-leading 11 home runs and 12% barrel rate.
New York’s rotation is stacked, and Will Warren is just another up-and-coming elite arm. His stuff rocks (109 Stuff+, 2.13 botERA, 22.3% K-BB), which is part of the reason why the Yankees have won eight of his 10 starts this season.
Zerillo says we should bet the Yankees ML at -168 or better.
Pick: Yankees ML (-168 or Better)
