The New York Yankees will try and take another game from the Tampa Bay Rays as the two AL East teams collide on Saturday. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Yankees-Rays prediction and pick.
The Yankees shut out the Rays 2-0 on Friday. New York needed only two big hits to win the game, along with an excellent pitching performance from Jameson Taillon. Gleyber Torres clobbered an 0-1 pitch from Jeffrey Springs to deep left field to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Later, Matt Carpenter smacked an 0-1 pitch to right field. It was his first home run as a member of the Yankees. Taillon tossed eight shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out five. Meanwhile, Springs allowed two earned runs with five hits over six innings. Clay Holmes tossed a perfect ninth inning for the save.
The Yankees are 33-13 and possess the best record in baseball while the Rays are 26-19 and trail the Yanks by six and a half games in the AL East.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Yankees-Rays MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Yankees-Rays Odds
Yankees: -1.5 (+126)
Rays: +1.5 (-152)
Over: 6.5 (-124)
Under: 6.5 (+102)
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Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
Gerrit Cole takes the mound for the Yankees. He is 4-1 with a 3.31 ERA. However, he is coming off a shaky outing. Cole allowed five earned runs on seven hits in a loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Alternatively, he also fanned 11 hitters at the plate. It was a season-high for Cole in strikeouts. However, one bad inning ruined what was likely going to be another excellent start. Despite the loss, Cole still tossed eight innings. He looks to rebound today and hopes for some support from his offense.
The Yankees earned their ‘Bronx Bombers' nickname in 2022. They rank first in home runs and fourth in slugging percentage. Additionally, they also rank fifth in runs and seventh in on-base percentage. Aaron Judge is batting .305 with a league-leading 17 home runs in 2022. Also, Judge has driven in 36 runners. He is tearing it up this year no matter where the Yankees play. Likewise, his teammates are performing well.
Anthony Rizzo has 11 home runs and 27 RBIs while Giancarlo Stanton has pummeled 11 home runs with 35 RBIs. Likewise, these Yankees have other versatile weapons like Torres. New York has many threats throughout the lineup that can strike fear into the hearts of pitchers at any given moment. However, they struggled last night. The Yankees managed two runs on Friday, both coming from the long ball. Judge and Rizzo both went 0 for 4. Also, the Yanks are without Stanton as they put him on the 10-day injured list. Their roster is starting to feel the injuries mounting up. Judge, Rizzo, and Torres have to pick up the pace.
The Yankees will cover the spread if Cole gives them an excellent outing. Additionally, the Yankees need to score, and runs might come at a premium with the injuries mounting.
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Corey Kluber will start for the Rays. He has won two Cy Young awards. However, Kluber is struggling this year and has not been the same pitcher over the last few seasons. He is 1-2 with a 4.41 ERA. Also, Kluber tossed three innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks in his last start. The Rays pulled him because he had amassed a ridiculously high pitch count, throwing 73 pitches. Kluber must control his pitches and limit the high count. Also, he needs support from an anemic offense.
The Rays have scored two runs in this series. Now, they get to face one of the best pitchers in baseball. Tampa Bay must get to Cole early to prevent him from getting hot. Likewise, they will need Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco, and Randy Arozarena to hit the baseball. The three sluggers combined for an ugly 1 for 9 night on Friday. The Rays are 24th in on-base percentage and will need to find creative ways to get on the basepaths.
The Rays will cover the spread if they can get a good outing out of Kluber. He is a two-time Cy Young winner but has not pitched like that in a long time. Likewise, Kluber needs run support. The Rays cannot beat the Yankees by scoring only two runs. They need to produce early and often. Thus, the Rays cover the spread if they can take down Cole.
Final Yankees-Rays Prediction & Pick
It would be an amazing pitching matchup if Kluber still was an ace. However, he is not, and Cole is still one of the best pitchers in baseball. Expect the Yankees to win and cover.
Final Yankees-Rays Prediction & Pick: Yankees: -1.5 (+126)
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