The Yankees (61-66, 25-33 away) travel to take on the Rays (78-51, 43-22 home) in game one of this AL East matchup. Gerrit Cole is getting the start for the Yankees while Zach Eflin is starting for the Rays. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays showdown at Tropicana Field.

NEW YORK YANKEES VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -134

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 6:40 ET on Friday, August 25th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • The Rays are 4-1 straight-up in their five most recent games as the favorite.
  • Tampa Bay is on a four game winning streak when favored on the moneyline.
  • Across Zach Eflin’s 24 starts, the Rays have put together a record of 17-7.

NEW YORK YANKEES HAVE STRUGGLED AGAINST THE AL EAST

The Yankees’ record of 61-66 has them ranked 5th in the AL East. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 16-17-7. This season, they have gone 36-33 at home and 25-33 on the road.

The Yankees will turn to starter Gerrit Cole, who has a 10-4 record this season. Across 26 appearances, he has posted an ERA of 3.03 and a K/9 of 9.54. Additionally, Cole has recorded a FIP of 3.46 and an OBP of .273.

Gerrit Cole’s most recent start ended in a 8-1 defeat to the Red Sox. He surrendered six runs on seven hits over four innings of work.

Over their last five games, the Yankees are ranked 12th in the league in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.2 per contest puts them 22nd in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, New York is 16th, with an OBP currently sitting at .305. The team’s collective batting average is .230 (20th).

Gleyber Torres has been a key contributor to the Yankees offense this season, boasting a .268 batting average and .442 slugging percentage. Over the past ten games, he has been New York’s most consistent hitter, tallying a .263 average and leading the team in hits.

WILL THE TAMPA BAY RAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Throughout the season, the Rays have taken advantage of playing at home, posting a series record of 11-5 at Tropicana Field. Their overall record of 78-51 puts Tampa Bay 2nd in the AL East. Against the runline, their overall record is 65-64 and 32-33 at home. This year’s Rays’ games have an over/under record of 68-57.

The Rays will turn to Zach Eflin on the mound, who has a 13-7 record this season. In 24 appearances, his ERA is 3.58 and he has an impressive 8.85 K/9 rate. His FIP is 3.17 and opponents have a .259 OBP against him.

Zach Eflin earned a victory in his most recent outing, as the Phillies trounced the Angels 18-4. The right-hander allowed one run and four hits over six innings of work, delivering a quality start for Philadelphia.

For the season, the Rays’ offense is averaging 5.4 runs per game. Over their last ten games they have swung the bats well, sitting 1st in the league in scoring, with a total of 74 runs. Overall, Tampa Bay’s team batting average is .261, putting them 4th in the MLB.

An unfortunate injury to the Rays roster is that Wander Franco is unable to play in today’s game. This season, the young phenom has been a force at the plate, boasting a .281 batting average and .475 slugging percentage.