The New York Yankees (9-4) and Tampa Bay Rays (6-7) will tangle in two games Saturday. Both games are slated as seven-inning affairs per MLB’s special rule in place for 2020. The Tropicana Field twin bill begins at 2:10 p.m. ET. We analyze Saturday’s opener between the Yankees and Rays with betting odds and lines and make our MLB picks and best bets.
Yankees at Rays: Projected starting pitchers
RHP Gerrit Cole vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow
Cole owns a 2.55 ERA through three starts. He has logged a 3.21 mark over 195 career games.
- Cole has filed a 41% strikeout rate against current Rays batters while holding them to a .635 OPS.
- The new Yankees ace filed a sub-3.00 ERA on the road each of the last two seasons. He’s making his third career start at the Trop with a 1.50 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.
Glasnow posted a 12-start 1.78 ERA in 2019. The 26-year-old fire-baller has whiffed 14 batters in 8 2/3 innings this season and has an ERA of 3.12.
- Glasnow has a short-but-effective history against New York batters. He’s held them to a .200/.259/.320 slash line.
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Yankees at Rays: Key injuries
Get the latest injury news here.
- RP Aroldis Chapman (COVID-19 recovery) cleared, but doubtful
- RP Tommy Kahnle (elbow) out
Rays
- OF Manuel Margot (personal) out
Yankees at Rays: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML)
The Yankees offense has disappeared the last couple of games. Philadelphia beat New York, 5-4, Thursday, and the Rays took Friday’s series opener, 1-0.
In the seven games prior to those back-to-back losses, the Bronx Bombers had averaged 7.0 runs per game on a .922 OPS.
Cole actually hasn’t pitched as well as his surface numbers would indicate, but the price is right for a New York bounce in Saturday’s opening game. TAKE THE YANKEES (-162).
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Yankees to win returns a profit of $6.17.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
Let’s avoid the run line — YANKEES -1 (-125) — in this truncated tilt at the pitcher-friendly Trop.
Over/Under (O/U)
Cole has run into bats and barreled-up contact at below-par rates so far, and both bullpens are a tad overrated by their surface stats. Add in a brief team slump, and that makes for some value on the OVER 5.5 (-110). Keep in mind that low number is because of the seven-inning rule.
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