The New York Yankees (50-18) and Tampa Bay Rays (37-31) put a cap on their 3-game AL East series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., with a Wednesday game at 7:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Yankees vs. Rays odds with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: New York leads 6-3.
New York headed into this series ranked 1st in MLB in runs (5.15 per game) and runs allowed (2.98). Solid Rays pitching has held the Yankees to a .623 OPS in this series.
Tampa Bay’s offense has not been sharp of late (.621 OPS since May 26). But the Rays were certainly buoyed by the performance of 1B Isaac Paredes in a 5-4 win Tuesday. Paredes became just the 6th player in franchise history to hit 3 home runs in a game.
Yankees at Rays projected starters
LHP Jordan Montgomery vs. RHP Shane Baz
Montgomery (3-1, 2.72 ERA) owns a 0.95 WHIP, 1.4 BB/9 and 6.9 K/9 in 72 2/3 IP across 13 starts.
- Facing the Rays for the first time since Oct. 2 when they pounded him for 3 HR and 7 runs in just 2 2/3 IP.
- Has yielded more than 2 runs in just 1 of his last 12 starts.
Baz (0-1, 5.40 ERA) is tabbed for his 3rd start. He has a 0.96 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9 and 9.7 K/9 in 8 1/3 IP.
- Was solid in his 2nd start June 17 at Baltimore (6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB and 7 K) after a rocky debut June 11 at Minnesota (2.1 IP, 5 R, 3 H, 3 BB and 2 K).
- Clocked a 2.03 ERA in 3 starts last season and is considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
Yankees at Rays odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 8:17 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Yankees -145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Rays +120 (bet $120 to win $100)
- Run line (RL): Yankees -1.5 (+122) | Rays +1.5 (-150)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -105 | U: -120)
Exclusive USA TODAY Network offer: Deposit $10 or more, get $200 in instant bet credits at Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Place your legal, online sports bets at Tipico. Let’s make this interesting. Bet now!
Yankees at Rays picks and predictions
Prediction
Rays 5, Yankees 4
Money line
I’m not going to go all in with an untested pitcher like Baz on the bump, but consider a partial-unit play on TAMPA BAY (+120). The Rays are at their best against left-handers, and they are seeing one for a second straight game.
Montgomery has been aided by a .245 batting average on balls in play. Current Tampa bats own a robust .949 OPS against him.
Win your fantasy baseball league with BaseballHQ.com. For decades, BHQ has been helping players just like you win! Use the couple code SBW22 for 20% OFF full-season subscription. New customer offer; expires 6/30/2022. Subscribe today and start winning!
Run line/Against the spread
The Rays have played a lot of close games of late. PASS on the current tag, but give Tampa Bay a look if the price gets to -145 or better.
Over/Under
New York’s bullpen could run into some back-end fatigue. Montgomery is a fade candidate, and Baz is a question mark.
TAKE THE OVER 7.5 (-105).
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional MLB coverage:
BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
BaseballPress.com: Your source for every MLB lineup
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]