The Tampa Bay Rays remain in the Bronx to face the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 PM ET. It’s Game 2 of a four-game set. Keep reading for our Rays vs. Yankees betting prediction.
Can the Rays win the game outright as money-line road underdogs?
Projected starting pitchers: Taj Bradley (TB) vs. Nestor Cortes (NYY)
The Tampa Bay Rays are 48-49 straight up this year. Tampa is 4-6 straight up in their last 10 games. The Rays are 45-52 ATS this season.
The New York Yankees are 59-40 straight up this year. New York is 5-5 straight up in their last 10 games. The Yankees are 53-46 ATS this season.
Rays vs. Yankees Game Matchup and Betting Odds
913 Tampa Bay Rays (+120) at 914 New York Yankees (-141); o/u 8.5
1:05 PM ET, Saturday, July 20, 2024
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Rays vs. Yankees Public Betting Information
Our MLB Public Betting Information page indicates that 84% of public bettors are currently backing the Yankees money line. Please note that these numbers are subject to change all the way up to game time, so be sure to check the link to ensure that you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Tampa Bay Rays DFS Spin
Rays third baseman Jose Caballero was the only player on his team to record multiple hits in their 6-1 loss to the Yankees on Friday. Hitting out of the #8 spot in the lineup, Caballero went 2 for 4 with 2 singles. For the season, Jose Caballero is batting .243 with 6 homers, 24 RBIs, and an OPS of .671. He has been better against lefties (.764 OPS) than righties (.637 OPS) this season, putting him in play for DFS purposes against Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes on Saturday.
New York Yankees DFS Spin
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe drove in half of his team’s runs in their 6-1 victory over the Rays on Friday night. In that contest, the New York native went 2 for 4 with a double and 3 RBIs. In 444 plate appearances this year, Anthony Volpe is slashing .248/.302/.370 with 18 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, 35 RBIs, 62 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases. Volpe is hitting .258 at home compared to just .235 on the road. That fact makes him worth a look in most DFS formats this weekend.
Rays vs. Yankees MLB Betting Trends
Tampa Bay is 21-22 as the road team this season.
Tampa Bay is 12-19 straight up in division games this season.
New York is 26-19 straight up as the home team this season.
New York is 35-23 straight up after a win this season.
Rays vs. Yankees Betting Prediction
The All-Star break seemed to come at the perfect time for the Yankees. New York only had 3 players selected for baseball’s mid-summer classic (Clay Holmes, Aaron Judge, and Juan Soto). That means the vast majority of the team got four full days of rest before beginning the second half at home on Friday. In their last 19 games before the All-Star break, the Yankees were 6-13 straight up. New York’s decisive 6-1 win over Tampa Bay on Friday might be a sign of good things to come for the Yankees in the second half.
Tampa Bay, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have it this year. The Rays are 48-49 on the season but they have a run differential of -68 and they’re 6 games out of the final wild card spot in the American League. Tampa Bay will likely trade multiple players before the July 30th trade deadline, and their team is surely well aware of this. That could negatively affect the Rays’ on-field performance. Against a juggernaut like the Yankees, that could be a legitimate issue. To that end, I like New York to win this game outright at home on Saturday afternoon.
