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The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees will finish their pivotal three-game series in New York on Sunday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Rays-Yankees prediction and pick, laid out below.
The Rays are in the midst of a pennant race with these very Yankees. They are 78-59, four-and-a-half games behind first in the the AL East. Tampa Bay also holds the first position in the AL Wild Card race. After splitting the first two games of this series, this third game is a huge opportunity for either team.
New York has endured a rough end of the summer, yet still sits at first place with an 84-56 record. The Yankees have played to an impressive 49-22 record at home, and are looking to take the series against their division rival Tampa Bay Rays. While the playoffs are still a foregone conclusion, the division hangs in the balance of this series.
Here are the Rays-Yankees MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Yankees Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-188)
New York Yankees: -1.5 (+155)
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Luis Patino will be this afternoon's starting pitcher, making his sixth start of the season. Patino has made 35 career appearances, 21 of which were starts, pitching to a 4.45 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 113.1 innings. The hard-throwing righty has held batters to below .200 averages on both his sinker and changeup. Last time out, Patino threw five innings, allowing three runs against the Boston Red Sox.
Tampa Bay's bullpen ranks seventh in baseball with a 3.28 ERA in 581 innings of work. The Rays employ a closer by committee method, with Jason Adam's eight saves leading the team. Adam has pitched to a 1.26 ERA, striking out 70 batters in 56.1 innings. Lefty Brooks Raley has struck out 58 batters in 48.2 innings, with a 2.03 ERA and six saves. Pete Fairbanks has returned from injury, pitching to a 1.45 ERA, registering six saves and striking out 28 batters against just two walks in 18.2 innings.
Tampa Bay's offense is paced by outfielder Randy Arozarena, who has 19 home runs, 76 RBIs, 36 doubles and 28 stolen bases, all leading the team. Isaac Paredes was acquired right before the season began, ranking second on the team with 18 home runs. Yandy Diaz is hitting .293, with 32 doubles and 73 walks compared to just 52 strikeouts. Diaz's .401 on-base percentage leads the team. Ji-Man Choi has hit nine home runs, with a .336 on-base percentage. All nine of those home runs have come against right-handed pitchers. Choi will likely be in the lineup today with the Yankees sending Domingo German to the mound. The team is fifth in the league with 253 doubles.
Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
New York will task Domingo German with taking the series against Tampa Bay. German has made 10 starts this season, going 2-3 with a 3.27 ERA, striking out 38 batters in 55 innings. German's 5.3% walk rate is the lowest of his career, as is his 16.8% strikeout rate. German has thrown his curveball 36.3% of the time, holding batters to a .211 batting average against the pitch.
The Yankees' bullpen is second in the league with a 2.93 ERA, striking out 482 batters in 479.2 innings. Closer Clay Holmes has pitched to a 2.29 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 55 innings, registering 19 saves. After a rough month and a stretch on the injured list, Holmes has pitched to a 2.45 ERA in his last seven appearances. Rookie Ron Marinaccio has pitched to a sparkling 1.73 ERA in his 36.1 innings. Wandy Peralta owns a 2.55 ERA in 53 innings, holding batters to a lowly .197 batting average.
New York's offense is led by slugger Aaron Judge, hitting 55 home runs and 120 RBIs with a .307/.412/.683 slash line, all of which lead the team. Judge is also second on the team with 16 stolen bases. Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run in yesterday's rout of Tampa Bay, possibly indicating that he is rising out of an awful slump. Stanton now has 25 home runs on the season. Gleyber Torres has 19 home runs and 22 doubles, although his production has been streaky rather than steady. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has found a bit of a power stroke recently, hitting two of his three home runs in the last week. Kiner-Falefa leads the team with 18 stolen bases, adding 19 doubles.
New York leads the league with 217 home runs and 530 walks, and ranks tied for third with 687 runs. This team can score and score in bunches. But ltely, those high-scoring games have been fewer and further between.
Final Rays-Yankees Prediction & Pick
New York has the home-field advantage in this one to take the series.
Final Rays-Yankees Prediction & Pick: New York -1.5 (+155), over 8.5 (-110)
