The Tampa Bay Rays (100-61) go for a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees (91-70) Sunday in the finale of a weekend series at Yankee Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze the lines around the Rays vs. Yankees odds with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: Rays lead 11-7
The Rays, who had won the AL East and clinched the No. 1 seed in the AL playoffs before this series, beat the Yankees 4-3 Friday and 12-2 Saturday.
The Yankees, who had a seven-game win streak snapped by the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday, have lost three of their last four games. They are tied with the Boston Red Sox for the AL’s No. 1 Wild Card, while the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are both 1 game back entering the final day of the regular season.
RHP Michael Wacha is projected to start for the Rays. He is 3-5 with a 5.26 ERA (119 2/3 IP, 70 ER), 1.35 WHIP, 8.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 22 starts and six relief appearances this season.
- Last outing: No-decision, 5 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K in 4-3 loss at Houston Astros Tuesday
- Career vs. Yankees: 1-1, 3.86 ERA (32 2/3 IP, 14 ER), 1.16 WHIP, 11.0 K/9 through five starts and two relief appearances
RHP Jameson Taillon is projected to start for the Yankees. He is 8-6 with a 4.40 ERA (141 IP, 69 ER), 1.21 WHIP, 8.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 through 28 starts, but he exited his last start in the third inning due to an ankle injury.
- Last outing: No-decision, 2 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K in 7-2 win at Blue Jays Tuesday
- Career vs. Rays: 1-2, 3.94 ERA (16 IP, 7 ER), 18 H, 7 BB, 18 K across three starts
Rays at Yankees odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 8:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Rays +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Yankees -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Rays +1.5 (-175) | Yankees -1.5 (+140)
- Over/Under: 9.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Prediction
Rays 9, Yankees 4
Money line (ML)
BET 1.25 UNITS on TAMPA BAY (+115).
Wacha pitched 5 hitless innings in his last outing, and he has faced the Yankees four times this season, including two starts. He was 1-0 in those starts and didn’t allow an earned run across 11 combined innings with 9 strikeouts in each game.
Taillon is 0-2 with 7 runs allowed over 9 2/3 IP in two starts against the Yankees this season.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
ATS records: Rays 95-66 | Yankees 76-85
BET TAMPA BAY +1.5 (-155) to WIN a QUARTER UNIT.
The Rays’ ATS record is the best in the AL and is second in the majors (behind the San Francisco Giants’ 97-64).
Tampa Bay also covered the spread five games in a row and in eight of its last nine outings.
Over/Under (O/U)
O/U records: Rays 83-70-8 | Yankees 69-87-5
BET OVER 9.5 (-110) to WIN a QUARTER UNIT.
While the O/U is 9-9 across the 18 head-to-head contests this season, the Over is 17-8 in Taillon’s starts and 12-7 when Wacha takes the hill.
Look for Tampa Bay’s offense to knock Taillon out early and help this Over hit before the seventh inning.
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| JOHNNY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| SINCE JULY 8 | 44-26 | 19-8 | +14.997 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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