Rays vs. Yankees Pick & Analysis 6/2/21

Tampa Bay Rays (35-21) vs. New York Yankees (30-25)

When: 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 2

Where: Yankee Stadium, New York

Moneyline: TB +115/NYY -125 (BAS – Bet on games for cheaper using their “Less Juice” option!)

Runline: Rays +1.5/Yankees -1.5

Total: 8.5

Starting Pitchers: Shane McClanahan (2-0, 3.29 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) vs. Jordan Montgomery (2-1, 4.22 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)

Nothing Manufactured

If you’re a fan of old-school baseball, where teams play for a run an inning and try to get themselves in scoring position, this is not the game for you. These teams simply try to blast the ball whenever it comes across the plate, and they’ll then take whatever outcomes come their way.
Tuesday night’s game, won by the Yankees, was a perfect example of this new-school way of thinking. The Rays opened the second with a two-run home run, and every run that followed was either scored via a home run or scored on a walk or wild pitch. Once both pitchers settled down, no runs came after the fifth inning until the Yankees finally won the game in the 11th with — what else? — a two-run home run.
What this says is that these teams aren’t likely to find their way into a high-scoring contest as long as the ball stays in the park. Five of their 11 meetings have seen six runs or less scored, and six out of the

Sense of Urgency

Momentum dictated that the Yankees should have been fodder for the Rays in the opener of this series, given that the Yankees had lost four in a row and the Rays just posted an incredible 22-6 record for the month of May. Instead, the opposite occurred, as the Yankees came up with the hit they needed off the Tampa Bay bullpen and got a win they had to have.
The reality is that even though it’s June, the Yankees have to take advantage of this chance against the Rays because the schedule isn’t going to allow them to take matters into their own hands much longer. Once this series is over, New York will only have six shots left at Tampa Bay, and the Rays already hold a 7-4 advantage against the Yankees this year. If the Yankees can’t get something rolling here, the division title might prove to be beyond their reach yet again

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Powerless in Pinstripes

The Yankees’ issues are rather obvious to pinpoint at this point in the season: they’re not getting the job done at the plate. New York is usually an offense-first squad that’s chock-full of power in its lineup, but the Yankees simply don’t produce the way they typically do. With a batting average of .229, New York ranks 24th in the majors and 27th in RBIs (just 184 on the season).
Past teams have received reliable contributions from hitters like DJ LeMahieu, but even he’s struggling this season, as his average has plummeted to a pedestrian .260, down 104 points from the .364 he hit a season ago. The only reliable part of the Yankees’ lineup has been Aaron Judge, who has developed his gifts at the plate from previous seasons and made himself into a more complete hitter. Judge’s average of .297 is the only one that’s even close to the .300 mark from the Yankee regulars, and for a team that’s so wedded to the idea of going for the home run, the Yankees really struggle with actually hitting them. Other than Judge (13) and Giancarlo Stanton (9), no New York hitter has more than six.

Betting Trends

• The Rays have won six straight as an underdog.
• The Rays have won nine of 10 against a team above .500.
• The Yankees are 13-5 in their past 18 games following a win.
• The Yankees are 0-4 in their past four games as a favorite.
• The over is 4-1 in the Rays’ past five games.
• The under is 11-2 in the Yankees last 13 games overall.
• The under is 19-9-1 in the past 29 meetings in New York.
• The Rays are 20-8 in their past 28 meetings against the Yankees.

Weather Report

The weather shouldn’t affect things too much, as it will be a mostly cloudy day with temperatures at 67 degrees and winds blowing at 10 miles per hour toward third base.

Dan’s Pick

The Yankees have been feast or famine far too many times this year, and against the Rays, I think this turns into a famine situation. New York isn’t hitting, and the Yankees don’t have a pitcher in this game who can go out and take the opposing team entirely out of their game plan. Lately, Tampa Bay seems to be finding ways to win, Tuesday notwithstanding, while New York seems to lack something.
The Rays have thrived all year as underdogs, and I think it pays off again here. Give me Tampa Bay. Bet your MLB picks for FREE this week by taking advantage of a 100% REAL CASH bonus offer on your first deposit of $100 to $300 at MyBookie Sportsbook! (Must use bonus code PREDICT100 to get the extra cash added!)