Happy Friday folks! To celebrate this special day, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays will square off for the second straight day at Tropicana Field. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Yankees-Rays prediction and pick will be revealed.

 

Further extending their division lead, New York now sits at 5.5 games up on Tampa Bay at 32-13 and have now won three consecutive games. Getting the start in game two of this late May series will be the righty hurler in Jameson Taillon, who is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA thus far in 2022.

With eighteen games to go still between these two division foes, Tampa Bay surely knows they can play better than what they showed on the diamond yesterday. Tasked with evening up the series on the mound should be a southpaw in Jeffrey Springs, who has compiled a 2-1 record and a 1.32 ERA in his four games started on the year.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Yankees-Rays MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Yankees-Rays Odds

New York Yankees: +1.5 (-225)

Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+184)

Over: 7.5 (+100)

Under: 7.5 (-122)

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Why The Yankees Could Cover the Spread

Entering the opening game of the series on Thursday, the Yankees were heavy favorites with “Nasty Nestor” on the rubber, and as a whole, they did not fail to let down their traveling, faithful fans down in Florida.

Not only was Cortes on his game once again, which has proven to be nearly every outing now, but the Yankees bats were sizzling in the warm weather on Thursday. Despite the game being tied at 0-0 heading into the final frames, the Yankees still exploded in the top of the sixth with a trio of runs. New York then followed that inning up with another run in the 7th and then a three spot in the 9th, as they showcased their ability to cross the plate in a hurry.

The fifth-highest scoring squad in baseball, the Yankees would be smart to copy their winning formula from yesterday into today's matchup with the Rays by attacking Tampa Bay's starter and bullpen with a flurry of runs. While the Yankees only had six hits on the day, their timely hitting should be a recipe for success that all teams should take notes on moving forward.

After another dominant outing by Nestor Cortes, the Yankees will turn the page and put their trust in Jameson Taillon, who has been just as effective as any arm in baseball. With a shiny ERA and four wins under his belt, the former Pittsburgh Pirate is off to one of the best starts in his career. Taillon is determined to have a bounce-back year after last season saw him post an 8-6 record with a 4.30 ERA.

The Yankees remain one of the toughest teams to beat in all of baseball, as their extreme balance at the plate and on the mound gives them a great chance to come out with wins and cover the spread all at the same time.

Why The Rays Could Cover the Spread

After the 27th out was recorded on Thursday, the Rays looked up at the scoreboard and were flabbergasted to see the five-run deficit that led to their defeat. For the casual fans and sports bettors that only check box scores, don't look too down on Tampa Bay heading into Friday evening's matchup, as yesterday was a stalemate of a game for a majority of the night.

With an overall record of 26-18 including an impressive 15-10 mark out on the road, the Rays have the talent within their clubhouse to make this a game.

On offense, the Rays may not be as stacked as the Yankees on paper and when it comes to the statistics, but Tampa Bay certainly passes the eye test. Clearly, a unit that is near the upper half of teams in 2022, the Rays have the twelfth most runs generated in the majors with 191 and have an above-average slugging percentage at .391.

Switching gears to the pitching side of things, Tampa Bay's best chance to cover the spread and ultimately win this evening may fall on the shoulders of the starter in Jeffrey Springs. The converted starting pitcher has made eight appearances against the Yankees throughout his career and has a 0-0 record with a 2.70 ERA over that stretch. With a knee-buckling changeup that leaves opposing hitters way out front, Springs will need to be clicking on all cylinders to keep this feared New York lineup in check.

Final Yankees-Rays Prediction & Pick

For some reason, the Rays are the favorites in this matchup in St. Petersburg. If Tampa Bay acted as the +1.5 underdogs, then they would be a guaranteed lock this evening. However, beating the Yankees by multiple runs is a lot to as for any team at this point, and it is probably wise to put your money on the Rays after New York showed that they can bury you in the blink of an eye. The Rays may come out victorious in this one, but New York should cover the +1.5 spread.

Final Yankees-Rays Prediction & Pick: Yankees +1.5 (-225)