Surging Yankees Look to Add to Rays’ Early Woes
Yankees vs Rays Betting: New York -130 Favorite to Win Series
The New York Yankees will look to maintain their hot start when they visit the American League East rival Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game weekend series, starting Friday at 6:50 p.m. ET.
New York is -1.5 (+130) on the run line and -125 on the moneyline for the series opener, with Tampa Bay +1.5 (-155) and +105 (ML) to win outright. The projected total is 8, with a slight edge to the Over at -118 odds. The Yankees are also -130 favorites to win the series, compared to +110 for the Rays.
The Yankees took two of three games from the Rays at Yankee Stadium in April, outscoring them 10-9. After this weekend, the teams will meet once more before the All-Star break (July 9-11).
Who has the edge? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Yankees vs Rays betting odds in our MLB series preview.
Yankees vs Rays 
Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida
Day/Time:
Yankees vs Rays Betting Trends
The New York Yankees are 19-20 against the run line, including 5-5 over their last 10 games. Most of New York’s games have gone Under the total, as the Yankees are just 16-21-2 against the Over/Under.
The Tampa Bay Rays, meanwhile, are 15-23 on the moneyline. The Rays‘ 39.5% cover rate is the third lowest in MLB, ahead of only Houston (37.8%) and Miami (28.2%). Tampa Bay has been a far more reliable play against the Over/Under, fashioning a record of 21-16-1 for a cover rate of 56.8%. Only Milwaukee at 61.1% has gone Over the total at a higher rate.
That’s important to remember when assessing the Yankees vs Rays betting odds.
Yankees AL’s Team to Beat
The Yankees entered the season with big expectations, and for the most part, they have lived up to them. New York (projected for 91.5 wins) is 25-14, a half-game behind Baltimore atop the American League East.
The Yankees went 5-1 on their recent homestand, which included a three-game sweep of Detroit. They outscored the Tigers and Astros by a combined 35-17, improving their run differential to plus-53. That’s tied with Baltimore for second best in MLB, trailing only the Dodgers (plus-74).
As such, the Yankees have separated themselves as legitimate contenders. In fact, oddsmakers see them as favorites to win the AL at +320. The Yankees also have the third shortest World Series odds at +700, behind the Dodgers (+310) and Braves (+400).
New York has shown impressive resolve in dealing with an injury to Gerrit Cole. The reigning AL Cy Young winner has been shut down since March due to inflammation in his pitching elbow. The Yankees’ rotation has remained formidable, with Luis Gil looking the part as Cole’s replacement. Gil — Sunday’s scheduled starter — has won his last two starts against Baltimore and Houston, allowing just one run over a combined 12.1 innings.
The Yankees have MLB’s second-best ERA (2.99) and are seventh in WHIP (1.18).
Waiting Game for Tampa Bay
The Rays have begun to heat up after a slow start, winning five of their last six games to climb back to .500 at 19-19. They followed up their three-game sweep of the Mets by taking two of three at home from the last-place White Sox.
Most troubling about Tampa Bay is its minus-31 run differential, which suggests more regression is in store.
Tampa Bay’s biggest bats have struggled mightily, which is a big reason why the Rays sit fourth place in the AL East. Reigning AL batting champion Yandy Diaz is hitting .228 with a .577 OPS. Randy Arozarena (.147 BA, .548 OPS) has been even worse, though he does have six home runs on the season. History shows they’ll improve, but today’s MLB lineup remains a chief concern.
The Rays are tied for 19th in runs (154), 24th in homers (31) a
nd 20th in OPS (.678). Those figures will need to improve for Tampa Bay to make up ground in the loaded AL East.
Oddsmakers see the Rays as longshots at the moment, pricing them +2200 to win the AL pennant and +5000 to win the World Series. That’s a slight disappointment, as they were projected for 84.5 wins.
Game 1
Friday, 6:50 p.m. ET
Clarke Schmidt vs Taj Bradley
Schmidt is 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He fared well against Tampa Bay earlier this year, allowing just one run over 5.1 innings in a 5-3 win on April 19. He tied his season high with seven strikeouts in his last start, giving him 41 punchouts in 36 innings.
The Rays will counter with Bradley, who is making his season debut after suffering a pectoral injury in spring training. Bradley, one of the Rays’ top prospects, was a bit erratic last season with a 5-8 record and 5.59 ERA. But he also showed quality swing-and-miss stuff, striking out 129 batters in 104.2 innings.
Game 2
Saturday, 4:10 p.m. ET
Nestor Cortes vs Zack Littell
Cortes has gotten off to a strong start, registering a 3.72 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over his first eight appearances. He was stellar in his last start against Tampa Bay, throwing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts, albeit in a 2-0, 10-inning loss.
He will face Littell, who has a 3.00 ERA in his first year as a full-time starter. He shut down the Mets in his last start, holding them to one run over six innings in a 3-1 win on May 4. The veteran right-hander has displayed impressive command, striking out 42 while walking just five over his first 39 innings. Be sure to keep that in mind when assessing the MLB player props.
Game 3
Sunday, 1:40 p.m. ET
Luis Gil vs TBA
Gil has been impressive, going 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over his first seven starts. Walks have been an issue (24 in 37 innings), but it’s yet to catch up to him. The 25-year-old right-hander shut down Tampa Bay earlier this season, allowing one unearned run over 5.2 innings while striking out nine in a 5-4 victory on April 21.
The Rays have yet to decide on a starter. Keep that in mind, as it could affect the Yankees vs Rays bettingodds.
Yankees vs Rays Odds
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