The Tampa Bay Rays are 4-1 over their last five games against the New York Yankees. The Rays visit the Yankees for a three-game series starting this Friday at Yankee Stadium.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees Weekend Matchup, Betting Odds
Tampa Bay looks to snap out of a 2-9 slump over its last 11 games on the road this weekend against the New York Yankees.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay is a +105 betting underdog for Friday night's series opener according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Yankees are a -125 favorite at home with Masahiro Tanaka set to take the mound.
It has been a streaky season for the Tampa Bay Rays, who currently find themselves in the midst of a five-game losing streak after getting swept in a four-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Before going 2-9 over their last 11 games, Tampa Bay was 9-2 over its previous 11 games.
One of the consistent bright spots for the Rays this season has been staff ace Chris Archer. Archer has a 2.31 ERA this season with a 0.95 WHIP, and the Rays are 8-2 over his last 10 starts according to the OddsShark MLB Database.
Since winning seven straight games back in the beginning of June, the New York Yankees are just 9-12 over their last 21 games. The Yankees have the second-best offense in the majors, averaging 4.67 runs per game, but they’re also in the bottom third of the league with a 4.03 team ERA.
Before losing four of its last five games to Tampa Bay, New York had won six straight in this head-to-head series. The Yankees are 14-9 over their last 23 games against division rivals.
Friday’s total for the Rays vs. Yankees betting matchup is set at seven runs at the sportsbooks. Six of the last seven games between Tampa Bay and New York have gone UNDER the posted total.
The AL East is far and away the tightest division race with the top four teams separated by less than three games. Each of these head-to-head series’ between AL East rivals will be extremely important, setting the stage for an exciting set between the Yankees and Rays over the weekend.
Saturday's pitching matchup is Nathan Karns vs. Michael Pineda, while Erasmo Ramirez and CC Sabathia are set to take the mound on Sunday.
