Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction and odds for Friday, June 30 (Fade Yanks lineup)

The St. Louis Cardinals were on the wrong side of a 14-0 loss to the Astros, but turn its attention to a flailng offense in the New York Yankees.

New York has been a below .500 ball club without Aaron Judge, who is still recovering from a toe injury as the team has been putrid on offense. Can that open up a path for the Cardinals to get off to a hot start at home as the team tries to battle back in the crowded NL Central?

Here are the odds for Friday's series opener:

Yankees vs. Cardinals odds, run line and total

Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction and pick

This game is being lined as a pick 'em, but I can't trust the Yankees on the road given the team's dismal hitting splits without Judge. In 32 games without Judge, New York is hitting .216 while averaging 3.6 runs per game.

While the Cardinals are below the big league average at hitting in June, 18th overall, the Yankees are last this month at only .208. It doesn't help that the team will be sending out struggling starter Luis Severino on Friday, who has a 5.25 ERA in seven starts this season. Severino lacks the control (nearly four walks per nine innings) and lacks the ability to avoid the long ball with a home run to fly ball rate of nearly 17% this season.

St. Louis has a decisive hitting advantage in this one and will face one of the worst starts in Major League Baseball this season, I'll jump at the reduced odds.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.