Free Picks: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The Yankees are right on the heels of Tampa Bay in the AL East standings. It’s an absolute grind that is currently being won by the Rays. However, there is a ton of time for New York to play catch up after a terrible start to the season. For this preview, I take a look at the starting pitcher’s high ERAs and why I value the total runs for this wager.

Right now, fans of American League baseball are well versed in the battle brewing in the East. The Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays are all above .500 and fighting for top spot in the division. 

Wednesday night, two of the aforementioned teams go head-to-head as the Yankees play host to the Rays. 

On Tuesday, the Yankees defeated the Rays, 5-3. However, the Rays have dropped the Yankees on several occasions and lead the regular-season series, 7-4. 

Heading into this free MLB pick, I like to take a look at starting pitching. Wednesday night, the hometown Yankees will send RHP Jordan Montgomery, who is 2-1 with a 4.22 ERA this season. Against the Rays, Montgomery has seen them 3 times this season, going 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA. 

The visiting Rays will see LHP Shane McClanahan on the mound. McClanahan has tallied 32 strikeouts and owns a 3.29 ERA this season. 

When I see ERAs like that, it certainly has me thinking about total runs. Taking the over is almost solidified with how strong the Rays are at the dish. Tampa Bay has one of the best offenses in baseball and are one of the highest-scoring teams in the MLB. 

However, the Yankees are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the Majors. Can I trust them to do damage on Wednesday? 

Even though the Yankees are a tough sell, I still think the over-in-total runs will be your best MLB bet for this game. I love the value (+100) and the line isn’t terrible at 8.5. 

All my faith is in Tampa Bay for this wager, I’ll admit. I am more comfortable with this bet because the ERAs of Montgomery and McClanahan are relatively high as well. 

Tampa Bay is a top offense and the Yankees have shown flashes of brilliance at the dish. I believe they can contribute to the over-cashing in on Wednesday.

• The Rays average 4.96 runs per game.
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games. 
• 20 of Tampa Bay’s 28 games on the road have seen the OVER cash