The New York Yankees have been atrocious as they are last in the AL East with a 61-66 record so far. Righty ace Gerrit Cole is taking the mound and is coming off a losing effort against the Boston Red Sox where he threw four innings and allowed six runs on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been doing extremely well as they are second in the AL East with a 78-51 record. Right-hander Zach Eflin is taking the mound and is coming off a victory against the Los Angeles Angels where he gave up one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts in six innings.
Match Details
Fixture: New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays
Date & Time: Friday, August 25, 6:40 p.m. EDT
Venue Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
Yankees vs Rays Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| New York Yankees | +1.5 (-185) | +120 | Over 7.5 (+110) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -1.5 (+154) | -142 | Under 7.5 (-120) |
Odds Subject to Change**
Yankees vs. Rays Key Stats
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have been one of the most struggling teams offensively as they are 22nd in MLB while scoring 4.24 runs per game and a .707 team OPS. They have been struggling on the road throughout the year as they have a .233/.309/.383 team slash line while averaging 4.33 runs in 58 games. Second baseman Gleyber Torres has been leading the team at the plate as he has a .776 OPS with 20 home runs, 52 RBIs, 67 runs scored and 12 steals on 17 attempts.
Gerrit Cole has been doing extremely well as an AL Cy Young candidate as he is 10-4 with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP while throwing 160.1 innings in 26 games. Hitters have been struggling to hit the ball over the fence against him as he has allowed 17 homers this year after 33 in 2022. Cole is facing the Rays for the fourth time this season and is 1-0 in 17 innings and gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on 17 hits with six walks and 18 strikeouts.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the best teams at the plate as they are fourth in the majors with a .782 team OPS while averaging 5.36 runs per game. They have been hitting the ball poorly as they are sixth in MLB with a .781 team OPS while scoring 5.31 runs per home game. Third baseman Isaac Parades has been hitting extremely well as he has a .257/.359/.514 slash line with 26 homers, 80 RBIs, 59 runs scored and one steal without being caught thus far.
Zach Eflin has been doing well so far as he is 13-7 with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in 138.1 innings of work. His pinpoint control has been extremely impressive as he has 19 walks and 136 strikeouts. Eflin is facing the Yankees this season as he is 2-0 in 12 innings and gave up four runs on 10 hits with one walk and 14 strikeouts.
Yankees vs. Rays Prediction
The New York Yankees have been dreadful in the second half of the season as they are 12-23 thus far. Gerrit Cole has struggled a bit against the Rays and this Rays offense is on fire lately. All in all, expect the bats of the Rays to come alive and cover the run line at home.
