Two of the top squads that call the American League East home go head-to-head as the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Rays-Yankees prediction and pick will take place.
At 35-25 and in third place in the division, the Rays still trail the blistering Yankees by nine games. The Rays still possess one of the best rosters in all of baseball, however, and they should present a decent challenge to New York with RHP Corey Kluber expected to take the mound as the visiting starter.
Currently, in the midst of an 11-game home winning streak, there is no questioning just how good the Yankees have looked in 2022. Off to one of their best starts to a season in franchise history, New York's championship aspirations could not be more prevalent as we march on during the month of June. On the mound for the Yankees will be their ace in righty Gerrit Cole, who has compiled an impressive 5-1 record and a 3.31 ERA.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rays-Yankees MLB odds.
MLB odds: Rays-Yankees Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-113)
New York Yankees: -1.5 (-106)
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
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Why The Rays Could Cover the Spread
Tampa Bay has experienced great success during the 2022 season, and their record certainly shows. Now ten games above .500, the Rays' final last gasp at making a run at a division title may come down to this middle-of-the-week divisional series against their arch-rivals. To make matters even better, the Rays were able to down the Twins in their most recent game versus the Twins in which they were very effective in the batters' box and absolutely dominant on the hill in the 6-0 shutout victory. The win against Minnesota also guaranteed that the Rays would not get swept, as Tampa Bay has not been blanked in a series in more than a year.
On Tuesday, the Rays will definitely have their hands full as they are pitted against one of the more commanding displays of baseball the game has seen in the New York Yankees. In order to win and cover the spread against New York, Tampa Bay will need an exceptional effort and all hands on deck to move a game closer to the top spot in the AL East.
Can the Rays continue their elite pitching production that is a big reason for Tampa Bay's success? On the season, the Rays have pitched to the tune of a 3.26 ERA, which is the fourth-best mark in the majors. With the Rays scuffling at times and showcasing to the world that they are rather inconsistent at the plate, Tampa Bay's bread and butter has no question been from the rubber. In his last outing against the Yankees, Kluber was able to keep the Yankees in check after only surrendering one run on three hits in six innings. Over the course of his career, Kluber has racked up an eye-popping 5-2 record along with a 2.42 ERA in his nine career starts.
Why The Yankees Could Cover the Spread
As for the Yankees, New York is hotter than Satan's toenails. At a historic pace, this New York bunch hardly lacks anything to their overall game. They can punish you with extreme precision on the mound while also destroying your hopes and dreams by sending a baseball far into the night and into the stadium's bleachers. Overall, the Yankees rarely lose, and when they do, they often times still cover the spread.
Winners of 11 0f their previous 12 games, the Yankees by far have baseball's best record at 44-16 and that includes a dazzling 26-7 mark at home. After an 18-4 drubbing of the Cubs on Sunday, the Yankees will head into this divisional matchup with the third-most runs in baseball at 307 and are even slashing a very lethal .250 batting average, which happens to fall within the top ten of the 30 teams.
The offensive prowess is on full display, but the arms within the starting staff and bullpen have been even more spectacular. Against a strong pitching team like the Rays, this attribute may be the biggest reason why the Yankees could cover the spread on Tuesday evening. In fact, New York has the top earned-run average in all of baseball with a 2.85 mark. Additionally, they have also held the opposition to a .215 average.
Final Rays-Yankees Prediction & Pick
Is it wise at all to put your money against the best tea in baseball? Probably not. New York has shown tremendous success in covering the spread and with Cole scheduled to start for the Yankees, the Rays won't have enough firepower to come out victorious in game one.
Final Rays-Yankees Pick: Yankees -1.5 (-106)
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