The Tampa Bay Rays (62-53) and New York Yankees (72-45) wrap up a 3-game AL East showdown Wednesday. First pitch from Yankee Stadium is at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Season series: New York leads 7-5. Tampa Bay has taken the first 2 games of this series.
The Rays have won 4 straight games and have allowed just 4 combined runs along the way. Tampa Bay owns a 2.66 ERA over its last 8 games.
The slumping Yanks are 11 games under-.500 (11-22) since July 9. New York is 2-11 with a .625 OPS since Aug. 2.
Rays at Yankees projected starters
RHP Corey Kluber vs. RHP Domingo German
Kluber (7-7, 4.40 ERA) has posted a 1.19 WHIP, 1.3 BB/9 and 7.9 K/9 through 116 2/3 IP across 22 starts.
- Tagged for 7 runs in his last start Friday vs. the Baltimore Orioles.
- Owns a 6.91 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over his last 5 games.
- Current Yankee bats own an aggregate .792 OPS against him.
German (1-2, 4.18 ERA) has made 5 starts this season. He has a 1.44 WHIP, 3.0 BB/9 and 6.5 K/9 through 23 2/3 IP.
- Owns a Boeing 7.04 ERA across his last 5 efforts against Tampa Bay
- Has been solid against lefty bats the last 2 seasons (.729 OPS allowed in 2022). Wednesday’s Tampa lineup figures to lean heavily to that side.
Rays at Yankees odds and lines
- Money line: Rays +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Yankees -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rays +1.5 (-180) | Yankees -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -130 | U: +105)
Rays at Yankees picks and predictions
Prediction
Rays 4, Yankees 3
Money line
The lean here is on the visitors’ side of the pitching equation and on Yankee bats just being tied in knots at the moment.
BACK THE RAYS (+115).
Run line/Against the spread
PASS. The tag on taking the Rays with a cushion makes for too much risk.
Over/Under
The Under is 8-3 across the last 11 Tampa-New York meetings, and that’s the lean in this contest. New York’s offense has been floundering without OF Giancarlo Stanton (IL-Achilles). Wednesday’s Bronx forecast calls for cooler temperatures and a slight inward breeze.
BACK THE UNDER 7.5 (+105).
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