MLB Betting Preview, Odds, and Picks: Yankees vs. Rays



Renowned professional sports handicapper Ross Benjamin provides us with an in depth look at Friday’s AL East showdown between the Yankees and Rays. Ross concludes his article with a free pick on this game.

The top 2 teams in the AL East standings square off on Friday when the Yankees and Rays open a 3-game series at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Presently, first place Tampa Bay has a 1.5-game lead over the Yankees. The current MLB betting odds at BetOnline is showing Tampa Bay as a money line favorite of -162 and there’s a total of 7.5.

Friday will be a first meeting of the season between these division rivals. Tampa Bay went 6-4 at home last season against New York and closed as an underdog on each occasion. The Rays haven’t been a favorite in this head-to-head series since 9/13/2017.

Red Hot Starting Pitchers

New York Yankees free pickDomingo German is slated to make the start for New York. The Yankees have gone 5-1 this season with German as their starting pitcher. The right-handed hurler’s 2.48 ERA and 0.94 WHIP has been a key contributor to that success. However, it must be noted, German struggled in his 2 starts against the Rays last year. He collected a large 9.00 ERA and 1.78 WHIP during those outings. Although, those in the know will tell you that German has made substantial strides since then, and his season numbers would surely support that claim.

The pitching of Tyler Glasnow has been a pleasant surprise for Tampa Bay so far. The Rays are 6-1 with Glanow as their starter. During those 7 appearances, Glasnow has compiled extremely impressive numbers by amassing a 1.47 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. Considering Glasnow had a career record of 4-16 and lofty 5.35 ERA entering the 2019 campaign, he’s been found money at this point in time.

Both Teams Unprofitable Roles

The Yankees are off to a very good 22-15 (.595) start. That’s especially true in view of their extensive disabled list which currently includes Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorious, Troy Tulowitzki, Aaron Hicks, and Luis Severino just to name a few. Nevertheless, they’re an abysmal 0-10 since last season as a money line away underdog of +106 to +150. They fall into that exact betting parameter today as an away money line underdog of +150.

Tampa Bay headed into this much anticipated divisional series with an outstanding 23-13 (.639) record. Nonetheless, they’ve gone 1-4 as a money line home favorite of -106 to -160.

Key Stats and Trends

The New York Yankees have made 28 errors in 37 games. Conversely, Tampa Bay has committed only 13 errors in their 36 games.

Rays Yankees free playThe Rays last played on Wednesday during a 3-2 home loss to Arizona. They’ve gone 3-0 in 2019 following an off day and won by a decisive average of 5.7 runs per game.

Tampa Bay is 38-19 under the total since 2018 after a game in which they scored 2 runs or fewer. Furthermore, through their previous 7 outings, the Rays allowed just 2.7 runs per game and had a bullpen ERA of 1.29.

The “Bronx Bombers” have lived up to their nickname while smashing 55 home runs in their first 37 games. On the other hand, the Rays have connected for 35 home runs in 26 games when facing right-handed starting pitchers.

Since 2017, only 14 of the 38 games (36.8%) played between these division rivals have gone over the total.

Final Analysis and Pick

I’m predicting both starting pitchers will perform true to this year’s form. Both bullpen staffs have pitched very well recently. Neither team has hit with any type of consistency over the past week. One of my Friday MLB picks will align perfectly with the preceding statements.

Pick: Under 7.5 (-124)

Ross Benjamin Free Pick

Ross Benjamin is a top sports analyst and one of the sports industry's most respected handicappers. Follow him on Twitter: @RossBenjamin1 or visit his website at RBWins.com


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