Yankees vs. Rays Odds
| Yankees Odds | -135 |
| Rays Odds | +110 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (-110 / -110) |
| Time | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | MLB.TV |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here. | |
The Yankees have had a great season so far. At 49-17, they sit atop the American League East with the best record in baseball and an 11-game lead over the Blue Jays.
The Yankees had their nine-game winning streak snapped in Toronto Sunday as their bullpen blew a late lead.
The Rays have had some injuries but still own a 36-30 record this year, 13 games behind the Yankees in the division. Who will get the job done in this divisional matchup?
Can Yankees Hit Shane McClanahan?
Shane McClanahan is having one of the best seasons of any pitcher in the American League and enters as one of the favorites to take home the AL Cy Young Award at the end of the season.
This will certainly be a difficult test for the Yankees offense. McClanahan has a 1.84 ERA, 3.18 xFIP, 29% K%, 6% BB% and 45% ground-ball percentage this season.
The Yankees have quite a bit of power against left-handed pitching, as Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Gleyber Torres all have ISOs above .200 against left-handed pitching.
Catcher Kyle Higashioka has been heating up with four home runs in the month of June, with two of them coming against left-handed pitching.
McClanahan has faced the Yankees twice already this season and allowed just two earned runs in 12 innings combined.
Will Gerrit Cole Keep Previous Form Against Rays?
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole owns a 3.33 ERA, which is much higher than McClanahan's. His 3.40 xFIP is comparable, though, as are his 30% K%, 6% BB% and 44% ground-ball percentage.
Cole has also faced the Rays twice this season and allowed just one earned run in 12 innings combined.
Ji-Man Choi and Isaac Paredes are the only hitters in the Rays lineup with ISOs above .200 against right-handed pitching this season. The Rays offense is still missing star infielders Brandon Lowe and Wander Franco, which takes a significant chuck out of their lineup.
Cole has already had success against this lineup twice recently, and I expect that to continue into this start once again.
Yankees-Rays Pick
I like the Yankees here. New York had been streaking with nine wins in a row prior to Sunday, when its bullpen blew a lead late in the game.
The Yankees didn't have to use their primary relievers in Michael King and Clay Holmes in yesterday's game, though, meaning they're fresh and available to hold a late lead tonight.
The Yankees lineup has lots of power against left-handed pitching up and down the order, while the Rays are still missing their two best offensive players.
The Rays are at home, but with the starting pitching matchup a toss-up and the Bronx Bombers owning the advantage on offense and in the bullpen, I'm taking the Yankees side here.
Pick: Yankees ML -130
