Heading into game three of this AL East matchup, it will be Zack Littell on the mound for the Rays (79-52, 44-23 home), facing off against the Yankees (62-67, 26-34 away) and Carlos Rodón. Find out my prediction for today’s New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays game in St. Petersburg.

NEW YORK YANKEES VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -122

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 1:40 ET on Sunday, August 27th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Yankees are just 3-7 straight-up.
  • So far, the Rays are 7-5 against the Yankees this season.
  • Carlos Rodón has given up three home runs across his last two starts.

NEW YORK YANKEES SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Heading into this divisional matchup vs. the Rays, the Yankees have an overall record of 62-67. This mark includes going 16-25 against divisional foes. Currently, they are 5th in the AL East. New York’s overall series record sits at 16-18-7.

New York’s Carlos Rodón has had a tough start to the season, with an overall record of 1-4 and an ERA of 6.27. On the road, his ERA is 9.83, while at home it is 6.47. His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) for the season is 1.42, and opposing batters are hitting .227 against him with a slugging percentage of .469.

Carlos Rodón earned a no-decision in his most recent start, hurling six frames and yielding one run. Despite delivering a quality start, the Yankees were defeated by the Nationals 2-1.

Having gone deep 10 times in their last five games, the Yankees are 2nd in that span. At 4.2 runs per game, New York is 24th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .229 while hitting a total of 178 home runs (7th).

Gleyber Torres has been one of the Yankees’ most reliable offensive contributors in 2023. The infielder is batting .268 and has driven in 53 runs, while also hitting 20 home runs.

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

On a record of 79-52, the Rays come into today’s game 2nd in the AL East. When playing at home, they are 44-23 and 35-29 on the road. Tampa Bay has played in 41 series thus far, and have gone 23-12-6.

Tampa Bay’s Zack Littell has posted a 2-4 record and 4.27 ERA so far in 2023. He has been more successful at home, with an ERA of 1.62, compared to his 3.98 mark on the road. His WHIP stands at 1.25 and opposing teams have hit .274 against him with a slugging percentage of .437.

Zack Littell’s most recent outing saw him surrender seven hits over 5 1/3 innings, resulting in four earned runs. Ultimately, the Rays emerged victorious with a 12-4 scoreline over the Rockies, though Littell did not factor into the decision.

For the season, the Rays are 4th in batting average, hitting a combined .260. Over their last five games, they have hit .265 which is 6th in that span. Tampa Bay’s average of 5.3 runs per game puts them 4th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 190 times and have a team slugging percentage of .448.

Yandy Díaz’s status is uncertain due to an injury, yet he has still managed to top the team in hits this season. His batting average stands at .326 and his slugging percentage is .507.