The Tampa Bay Rays (48-48) travel to face off against the New York Yankees (58-40) on Friday, July 19th. This game will be played at Yankee Stadium in New York and televised on BSSUN. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Yankees are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Orioles. First pitch is set for 6:05 CT.

Rays vs. Yankees Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Yankees (-174)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs

• Yankees have a higher overall win percentage (.592) compared to the Rays (.500) in the league standings.
• Yankees have scored 5 or more runs in 7 of their last 15 games, indicating strong offensive performance.
• Yankees have won 3 out of their last 5 home games, showing a favorable home-field advantage.
• In the last head-to-head series against the Rays, the Yankees won 2 out of 3 games.
• Yankees have a better record against division opponents (16-19) compared to the Rays (12-18).

Rays vs Yankees

The Rays Are Coming Off A Win

The Rays’s offense was carried by Jose Siri in their most recent game vs. the Guardians. Siri went only 1/3, but his one hit was a home run, and he drove in both of Tampa Bay’s runs. The Rays also got a good start from Ryan Pepiot, going six innings and not giving up a run. He only had four strikeouts in the outing and got the win.

Tampa Bay’s bullpen was also solid, as Pete Fairbanks closed things out in the 9th, and the Rays picked up the 2-0 win. Fairbanks only needed three pitches to get the save, and he also picked up the win in Tampa Bay’s last game vs. the Guardians.

As the Rays take on the Yankees today, they are currently at .500 with a 48-48 record and are 4.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East. This puts them in 4th place in the division. Tampa Bay has a 12-18 record in AL East matchups this season.

On the road, the Rays have a 21-21 record straight up and are 25-17 against the run line. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 45-46. When the total line is set at 8 runs, their O/U record is 11-13-1.

Zach Eflin Gets The Start For The Rays

Tampa Bay is sending right-hander Zach Eflin to the mound today as he faces the Yankees on the road. Eflin has made 17 starts this year and has a record of 5-6 with a 3.99 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Eflin has a WHIP of 1.12 and has turned in six quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.07 strikeouts compared to just 0.82 walks. Eflin’s most recent outing didn’t go well, as he took the loss vs. the Yankees, giving up two earned runs in seven innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

Rays Offense Breakdown

Brandon Lowe has been swinging a hot bat for the Rays, going 13/35 in his last 10 games with two homers. He also has a five-game hitting streak coming into today’s game. Overall, he is batting .273 with eight homers. The Rays will be looking for more production from Randy Arozarena and Jose Siri, as both are batting just over the Mendoza line and are 2nd and 3rd on the team in RBIs.

For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is the worst in the league. Their team batting average is just 14th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. As a team, they are averaging 8 strikeouts per game.

The Yankees Took The Last Game Of This Series

Trent Grisham was hot at the plate in the Yankees’ most recent game vs. the Orioles, going 3/3 with a homer and two RBIs. The Yankees really needed his big game, as they lost the game 6-5. New York was the -118 favorite on the money line going into the game.

Carlos Rodon had a rough outing, giving up six runs on eight hits and issuing three walks. He only lasted four innings, taking the loss. The Yankees’s bullpen was also shaky, as Clay Holmes gave up three runs in the 8th to blow their lead. New York’s offense scored their other three runs in the 2nd inning.

The Yankees are 58-40 overall and trail the Orioles by one game in the AL East. Their run line record is 52-46, with a +1.1 run differential, and they have a 50-44 over/under record this season. New York’s average run margin in wins is 4.1, while in losses, it’s -3.2.

New York has a 25-19 home record and is 33-21 on the road. They have a 16-4 run line record as underdogs and are 36-42 as favorites. The over/under line in their games has been set above 8 runs in 64.3% of their matchups, and their O/U record when the line is 8 runs is 8-9-2.

Gerrit Cole Gets The Start For The Yankees

Gerrit Cole is getting the start for the Yankees today, as they take on the Rays. Cole is coming off a win in his last outing, where he went 6 innings and struck out 7. He has started 1 game at home this season, but took a no-decision, going 4 1/3 innings, giving up 4 runs and 8 strikeouts.

Yankees Offense Breakdown

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been the best hitter in the MLB this season, as he is batting .306 with 34 home runs and 85 RBIs. Juan Soto has also been a big power threat for the Yankees, as his 23 homers is 6th best in the league. Soto is also batting .295 for the season. Over his last 10 games, Soto has gone 11/42 with three homers.

Collectively, the Yankees offense is the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 5 runs per game. They also have the league’s best home run total and are the top team in terms of drawing walks. As a team, they are batting .247, which is 8th best in the league.

Rays vs Yankees Prediction

Our prediction for today’s Yankees vs. Rays game is that the Yankees will pick up a 5-4 win. However, with the Yankees being -174 on the money line, we actually like the over, with the line being set at 8 runs.

Looking at today’s starters, we have Gerrit Cole finishing with seven strikeouts, which is good for eighth among all starters. As for Zach Eflin, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which is 15th.

Offensively, the Yankees are projected to finish with eight hits, compared to the Rays, who are projected to finish with eight. However, the Rays are actually projected to finish with more home runs than the Yankees.

One more reason to take the over is that we have the Yankees finishing with the seventh-fewest strikeouts today, while the Rays are actually projected to finish with the 17th most.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.