The Tampa Bay Rays (53-53) and New York Yankees (57-48) will face off in the MLB tonight. First pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast live on YES.
New York is a -130 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Tampa Bay is +110 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 8.5 total runs.
Continue below for my Rays vs Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Monday, July 28, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
Rays vs Yankees Picks, Prediction
- Rays vs Yankees pick: Under 8.5 Runs (-110)
My Yankees vs. Rays best bet is on the under, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Rays vs Yankees Odds for Monday, July 28
| Rays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -195 | 8.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
| Yankees Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +160 | 8.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
Rays vs Yankees Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Drew Rasmussen (TB) | Stat | RHP Cam Schlittler (NYY) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-5 | W-L | 1-0 |
| 1.8 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.0 |
| 2.93 / 3.61 | ERA / xERA | 4.35 / 3.48 |
| 3.58 / 3.47 | FIP / xFIP | 5.12 / 4.48 |
| 1.03 | WHIP | 1.55 |
| 15.9 | K-BB% | 11.1 |
| 51.7 | GB% | 36.7 |
| 112 | Stuff+ | 108 |
| 100 | Location+ | 95 |
Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees MLB Preview
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
The Rays seem to continually churn out effective pitchers, and Drew Rasmussen is the perfect example.
A sixth-round pick in 2018 by Milwaukee, Rasmussen was only used as a reliever before being traded to Tampa Bay.
In four seasons with the Rays, he has produced a sub-three ERA in each season.
This year, Rasmussen has a 2.93 ERA across 20 starts, the 10th-best mark in the American League, and he earned his first career All-Star nod.
Rasmussen does not have elite strikeout numbers, but he uses his fastball-cutter-sinker mix to keep the ball on the ground over 50% of the time. He has great command and keeps the ball in the yard.
Every year, the Rays seem to fly under the radar offensively. They don’t have any real superstars, so they are rarely discussed. But Tampa Bay ranks 10th in scoring and 13th in wOBA.
They don’t have a ton of power, but they do all the little things right. Tampa leads the league in stolen bases this season by a wide margin.
Junior Caminero is the closest thing the Rays have to a superstar and could be on his way.
Jonathan Aranda leads the team with an .862 OPS, and young speedster Chandler Simpson is a must-watch on the base path. He has 32 stolen bases in just 61 games.
New York Yankees Betting Preview
Rookie Cam Schlittler made his big-league debut at the beginning of the month and has looked promising in his first two starts.
The Yankees’ No. 3-ranked prospect has allowed five runs across two starts, with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings.
Schittler’s fastball reaches 100 miles per hour, and he pairs that with a really strong slider.
His command has been a concern early on, but he was able to battle through a dangerous Blue Jays lineup in his last outing, limiting them to two runs while escaping trouble multiple times.
Speaking of trouble, the Yankees offense might be in it.
On the season, New York ranks third in scoring and leads the league in home runs and team OPS.
They generate a ton of walks, and their slugging allows them to score multiple runs in a hurry when runners get on base.
The problem is that most of that damage was done by Aaron Judge, who now finds himself on the injured list.
Everybody else in this lineup will need to step up big time.
New York will rely on Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, especially right now.
Stanton is hitting .345 with a 1.096 OPS since the All-Star break, and Bellinger is hitting .333 with a 1.058 OPS over the last month.
Rays vs Yankees Betting Predictions
Without Judge, this Yankees lineup is a totally different animal and a lot easier to navigate.
The Rays have an All-Star pitcher on the mound with an elite bullpen behind him. Tampa Bay is sixth in the league in reliever xFIP this season.
This Yankees lineup has struggled against Rasmussen in his career. He has allowed just a .129 average and .180 wOBA with a 34.3% strikeout rate, and he's never given up an extra-base hit to anybody in this lineup.
Schlittler has elite stuff, and if he is able to command the zone and limit walks, there is nobody in this Tampa Bay lineup that should ultimately scare him that much. He has done a terrific job of avoiding hard contact, allowing just one barrel in two starts.
Both of these lineups enter the game cold at the plate. Tampa Bay is just 23rd in wRC+ since coming back from the All-Star break, and the Yankees sit just 17th and now are without their MVP.
Tampa Bay has been a top-five under team this season, going 60-43-3 to the under. Look for a low-scoring affair on Monday at Yankee Stadium.
Rays vs Yankees Best Bet
- Under 8.5 (-110)
Rays vs Yankees Betting Trends
For the latest on MLB injuries, be sure to check out our MLB Injury Report page.
