MLB Daily Picks – FREE pick for July 8th is New York Yankees

MLB Daily Picks FREE pick of the day is New York Yankees:

Fixture: Kansas City @ New York Yankees
Time/Date: 7:05 PM ET, July 8, 2013
Pick: New York Yankees
Odds: -146 (1.68 in decimal odds) @ Pinnacle

This will be the first game of 4 game series played in New York. Yankees lead the season series 3-0 after sweeping the Royals in Kansas City back in May, outscoring them 18-10.

New York Yankees are 4th in American League East with 48-40 record and they are 25-19 at home. Kansas City is 3rd in American League Central with 41-44 record.

Yankees are 6-1 in their last 7 games overall and they are 5-0 in last 5 games against Kansas City.

Phil Hughes will be starting for the Yankees tonight. He is 4-7, 4.55 ERA after 16 starts in 2013. In his last 2 starts, in 15 innings of work combined, Hughes has allowed just 3 earned runs while striking out 8. He is 5-1 in 7 career starts against Kansas City, recording 5 wins in last 5 games. Yankees are 6-1 in Hughes' last 7 starts during game 1 of a series.

Starting for Kansas City will be Jeremy Guthrie, who is 7-6, 4.29 ERA in 17 starts this season. He is 0-3, 6.95 ERA in his last 4 starts allowing 15 earned runs and 11 walks in 22 innings of work combined. Guthrie is 4-9, 5.15 ERA in 15 starts and 2 relief appearances against the Yankees. Kansas City is 1-4 in Guthrie's last 5 road starts.

New York's left fielder Vernon Wells hit a pair of homers in May series against Kansas City. He has gone 8 for 21 (.381) in his last 5 games against Kansas City.

Kansas City is 1-4 in their last 5 games as a road underdog, 0-4 in their last 4 games as an underdog, 0-5 in their last 5 during game 1 of a series and I expect them to lose tonight.