The New York Yankees are looking to snap out of their awful skid where they’ve lost 16 of their last 22 games when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay fell to two games under .500 after losing three in a row over the holiday weekend, and it finds itself as a home underdog in this one.
Carlos Rodon gets the ball for the Yankees, and he’s been awful since late June, posting a 10.89 ERA over his last four outings. Can he turn things around and get the Yankees back on track?
Here’s a look at the odds, probable pitchers and my best bet for this AL East clash.
Yankees vs. Rays Odds, Run Line and Total
Run Line
Yankees -1.5 (+130)Rays +1.5 (-155)
Moneyline
Yankees: -122Rays: +102
Total
8 (Over -118/Under -102)
Yankees vs. Rays Probable PitchersNew York: Carlos Rodon (9-6, 4.45 ERA)Tampa Bay: Ryan Pepiot (4-5, 4.40 ERA)Yankees vs. Rays How to WatchDate: Tuesday, July 9Time: 6:50 p.m. ESTVenue: Tropicana FieldHow to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Sun, YES NetworkYankees record: 55-37Rays record: 44-46Yankees vs. Rays Key Players to WatchNew York Yankees
Carlos Rodon: The lefty has been awful over his last four starts, allowing five, eight, eight and three runs over that stretch. That pushed Rodon’s season-long ERA from 2.93 all the way to 4.45, and he’s really struggled with his fastball this season.
Rodon is a tough pitcher to trust heading into this road matchup.
Tampa Bay Rays
Yandy Diaz: This is a favorable spot for Yandy Diaz, who has crushed left-handed pitching this season with an impressive .326/.362/.477 slash line in 86 at-bats. Diaz hasn’t been nearly as good as last season when he was an All-Star, but he’s still hitting .270 through the first half of 2024.
Yankees vs. Rays Prediction and Pick
This is a game that I broke down in today’s MLB Best Bets, as the Rays are a sneaky bet as home underdogs:
