The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays begin their series on Friday night, with the Rays attempting to chase down the Yankees in the American League East. These teams squared off already this season at Yankee Stadium, with New York winning two of three. The Yankees went through a rough stretch, but they've won five of their last six games to extend the division lead. Ironically, the Rays have the same record over their past six games, winning five in a row and then losing the final game of their last series. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Yankees-Rays prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Nestor Cortes Jr is in line to start Saturday's game, and he's had some struggles over his last three starts. Cortes Jr hasn't been able to get a winning decision since his third start of the season, over a month ago. He had three no-decisions and two losses since then, with the Yankees winning only one of those games. It's a concerning trend for Cortest Jr, as he had just 12 starts last season with a 4.97 ERA. Cortes Jr was a possible future ace for the Yankees after his breakout 2022 season but hasn't been able to replicate the success. 

A positive for New York is that Tampa Bay's starter has also struggled to come out on the winning end in most of his starts. Zack Littel won his first start against the Blue Jays, throwing six scoreless innings. However, the rest of his season has been four no-decisions and two losses. Littel's numbers aren't terrible, boasting a 3.00 ERA. Littel has put the team in a position to win, allowing two or fewer earned runs in four of those six starts.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Yankees-Rays Odds

New York Yankees: -1.5 (+128)

Moneyline: -126

Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-154)

Moneyline: +108

Over: 8.5 (+100)

Under: 8.5 (-122)

How to Watch Yankees vs. Rays

Time: 4:10 PM ET/1:10 PM PT

TV: YES, Bally Sports Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Yankees Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Yankees have been on fire over their last five games, which could lead them to have success against Littel. They have past success against the right-hander, scoring four earned runs in a game late last season. The Yankees are averaging 7.2 runs/nine over their last five games, batting .291 with a .378 on-base percentage. The issue for the Yankees is that Littel doesn't often let hitters on base, as he has zero walks over his last four starts.

The Bronx Bombers may be making a comeback, as they are averaging two home runs per game over that span.

Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win

Zack Littel has been a victim of bad luck more than poor pitching performance. He allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last six starts, but the Rays have been unable to give him any run support. Tampa Bay has 14 runs total over Littel's past five starts, giving him an average of 2.8 runs/game.

Cortes Jr has been one of the Yankees' weaker pitchers recently, so if there is any game where the Rays offense can flourish, it'll be this one. The Rays offense has also been improving, averaging 5.1 runs/nine over their last five and owning a .357 on-base percentage.

Final Yankees-Rays Prediction & Pick

The luck has to eventually turn for Zack Littel for him to get rewarded for his great outings. It'll be hard for him to hold off the Yankees offense in this game, but if he does, the Rays offense will finally show up and get him a well-deserved win.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Yankees-Rays MLB Prediction & Pick: Rays ML (+108)