The New York Yankees will do battle against their divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays in a Saturday showdown. The opening pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET and YES Network will showcase the matchup.
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Odds
Tampa Bay (-140) is favored over New York (+130) and oddsmakers have the Over/Under for this one at 8.5 runs (-110 for the over and -110 for the under). The game’s runline odds sit at -170 for taking the Yankees +1.5 runs and +150 for the Rays -1.5.
The Rays are 50-39 straight up (SU) and 48-40 against the spread (ATS). The team has lost 2.9 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 5.0 units ATS. The Yankees have gone 57-29 SU this year and are 49-36 ATS. In total, the team’s accumulated 12.8 units for moneyline gamblers and 14.6 units ATS.
Rays games have an over/under record of 37-45-6 so far in 2019. The Yankees have been a good over bet with a total record of 47-35-3.
Left-hander CC Sabathia is projected to start for New York. Sabathia is 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA and 66 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with 13 strikeouts and a 2.12 ERA against Tampa Bay this year (three starts).
The Rays are handing the ball to lefty Blake Snell (5-7, 4.87 ERA), who’s got 117 strikeouts and 29 walks, along with a WHIP of 1.28. Snell is 0-2 with 21 strikeouts and a 6.75 ERA over three starts against New York this year.
As a unit, Tampa Bay’s pitchers have allowed 3.7 runs per game overall in 2019. Its starters have a 3.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 3.73 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 8.9 K/9. In 34 divisional games, Rays starters have an ERA of 2.69 and the bullpen’s ERA is 5.08.
The Tampa Bay hitters are putting up 4.6 runs per outing, including 4.4 per game against divisional foes and 5.2 per game over their last five. The team’s hit .265/.345/.403 over its last five games and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
The Rays’ hitters have been led by outfielders Tommy Pham and Avisail Garcia. Pham is hitting .275/.377/.453 with 13 home runs, 37 RBIs, 41 runs and seven stolen bases, while Garcia’s line sits at .277/.335/.450 with 12 homers, 42 RBIs, 39 runs and nine stolen bases.
For the visiting squad, New York’s pitching staff allowed 4.5 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.24 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 8.76 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.07, along with a WHIP of 1.28.
The Yankees offense has slashed .266/.343/.466 on its way to 5.8 runs scored per game in 2019, including 6.9 runs per game against divisional foes and 7.0 per game over the team’s last five outings (4-1 SU).
New York’s hitters have been paced by second baseman DJ LeMahieu and shortstop Gleyber Torres, who’ve collectively launched 31 home runs. LeMahieu is hitting .337/.382/.521 with 12 home runs, 63 RBIs and 65 runs scored. Torres (.295/.361/.534) has produced 19 homers, 50 RBIs and 56 runs scored.
The Yankees have lost 0.3 units and are 12-10 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has hit in 11 of those games, compared to 10 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Rays have lost 1.9 units and are 18-13 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 11 of those games, as opposed to 19 which went under the total.
Yankees vs. Rays Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Rays, ATS Winner – Yankees, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The over has hit in four of Tampa Bay’s last seven games.
- The Yankees have a total OPS of .809 this season and an OPS of .709 when facing left-handed pitchers. The Rays’ OPS stands at .751 overall and .719 against lefties.
- The Yankees have won eight of their last nine games SU.
- Tampa Bay has recorded 20.8 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 24.4 over its last five.
- The Yankees have hit 21 home runs in their last 10 games. The Rays have hit 12 over their last 10.
