New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction and Betting Odds August 17
New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB handicapper Andy Lang offers his analysis of Wednesday’s New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays clash at Yankee Stadium. The Rays have leapfrogged their way to 2nd in the AL East sitting only nine games back of the Yankees who have lost 12 of their past 15 games.
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| Wednesday, August 17 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | New York Yankees -145 vs Tampa Bay Rays +122 |
| Runline: | Yankees -1.5 (+140) / Rays +1.5 (-160) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -115 / Under -105) |
| Game Time: | 7:05pm ET / 4:05pm PT |
| Where: | Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY |
| Weather: | 70 Degrees / 40-70% Chance of Rain |
New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Analysis
The Tampa Bay Rays head into the Bronx with hopes of completing a three game sweep over the New York Yankees on Wednesday evening. The Yankees have truly hit the skids, losing three straight and 10 of their last 12 games.
The Rays currently occupy the 2nd Wild Card spot with a full game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. The crafty veteran Corey Kluber gets the nod for Tampa Bay, while the 30 year-old righty Domingo German toes the rubber for New York. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM EST/4:05 PST.
Rays Ready For Playoff Push
The Tampa Bay Rays improved to 62-53 on the season after winning in Rays style with a 3-1 victory last night. Jeffrey Springs tossed five innings of one run baseball, while four relievers kept the Bronx Bombers scoreless through the final four innings.
Randy Arozerena provided the necessary offense with a three-run blast in the 1st inning. Rays pitching has been dominant during their current four game win streak as they have held opponents to only four runs. They could use a boost offensively as they rank bottom ten in almost any category imaginable.
Corey Kluber will take his turn in the Tampa rotation on Wednesday evening. Kluber season can best be described as serviceable, 7-7 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and .268 OBA. He has been effective in two outings against New York this season, holding them to only one run on seven hits across 12 innings of work.
Yanks Need a Spark
The New York Yankees have hit a horrible rough patch where they have lost 10 of their last 12 games, including last night’s frustrating 3-1 loss.
Nestor Cortes kept his team in the game with seven innings of three run baseball and Albert Abreu tossed two scoreless innings. The Bronx Bombers bats continued to slump as Andrew Benintendis triple was their only extra-base hit of the night.
Benintendi also had the lineups only multi-hit game. On the season New York is top five in runs, home runs and OPS. Their bats have been ice cold recently, with only nine runs scored in their last seven games.
Regardless the Yanks still have a comfortable lead in the American League East while sitting 2.5 games behind the Houston Astros for the league’s best record.
The Yankees hope that Domingo German can play the role of stopper and give their lineup a chance to start clicking. German held the Boston Red Sox to one run on five hits across six innings in his last outing.
New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
The New York Yankees are favored with a money line set at -140, while the Tampa Bay Rays sit at +120 with a total of 8. The Yankee sluggers have been ice cold recently as it seems like they have become a bit lax.
The Rays on the other hand are playing some of their best baseball of the season as they fight for Wild Card positioning. Kluber has kept the Bronx Bombers in check this season with only one run allowed across 12 innings of work.
Nothing about how the Yankees are playing inspires much confidence, almost forcing you to back the Rays in some fashion. Let’s keep it to the first five innings and take the insurance of the +0.5 with the Rays at -130 odds.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays F5 +0.5 -130 (first five innings)
First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Wednesday, August 17
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WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Wednesday’s baseball games, including this New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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