Rays vs. Yankees MLB Betting Odds, Picks: New York’s Max Fried starting second half of doubleheader
The Yankees and Rays meet Tuesday night in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium with the AL East race potentially on the line.
Tampa Bay entered the week 95-60 with a six-game lead over New York, meaning the division could effectively be decided by the time the nightcap begins. The Yankees were 89-66 and largely locked into a Wild Card spot, but avoiding a Rays celebration on their own field provides plenty of motivation.
Tampa Bay leads the season series 6-3 entering Tuesday, with several close games between these clubs.
MLB Betting Odds and Trends
The tiny total makes sense given the pitching matchup. Yankees hitters are just 11-for-80 lifetime against Drew Rasmussen with a .426 OPS, while Rays hitters are only 18-for-109 against Max Fried with a .487 OPS.
Both starters have also been excellent in September. Rasmussen owns a 0.95 ERA across three starts this month, while Fried has posted a 1.69 ERA in three September outings.
Tampa Bay Rays
Rasmussen gives Tampa Bay a strong chance to control the early innings.
The right-hander has a 2.72 ERA and 0.93 WHIP this season, and New York’s lineup has struggled badly against him historically.
Ben Rice is just 1-for-13 with five strikeouts, while Austin Wells is 1-for-7. Both lone hits were home runs. Cody Bellinger has fared best at 4-for-16, but all four hits were singles.
Rasmussen has also dominated left-handed hitters, holding them to a .215 average and .587 OPS.
He already shut out the Yankees at Yankee Stadium earlier this season, though New York did tag him for six runs in 2.1 innings in their most recent meeting.
New York Yankees
Fried has been every bit as difficult for Tampa Bay. The veteran left-hander owns a 2.63 ERA and has been especially sharp at night, pitching to a 1.77 ERA. He has also been better lately, allowing only one run across seven innings in his most recent start.
Tampa Bay’s career numbers against him are ugly. Junior Caminero is 1-for-12 with a double, Jonathan Aranda is 1-for-11 with a home run and five strikeouts, while Yandy Diaz is 4-for-17.
The Yankees could get some important reinforcements with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton potentially returning, though Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham remain out.
New York also owns a stronger home offensive profile, carrying a .760 OPS at Yankee Stadium.
MLB Prediction: Who Will Win Rays vs. Yankees?
This is a difficult game to handicap before knowing the Game 1 result because the stakes could shift dramatically.
Still, I prefer New York at home. Fried has an excellent history against Tampa Bay, and the Yankees should be highly motivated to prevent the Rays from celebrating an AL East title at Yankee Stadium if that possibility remains alive.
Rasmussen is the biggest obstacle, but New York has already shown once this season that it can get to him. In a low-scoring game, I will trust Fried and the home side.
Best bet: Yankees moneyline (-137)
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