If you’re looking at engaging in some MLB betting this week you simply can do no better than this weekend’s New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays series. This matchup will feature the two best teams in the baseball odds and the only teams to have racked 60+ wins this season.
The defending World Series champs, the New York Yankees (63-36) have been the best team in the baseball odds for most of the season and in a stark contrast to previous seasons this year the team’s pitching has been outstanding. The starting rotation has 53 wins so far this season and all five starters are above 5.00. Three of the starters have 11 wins or more (CC Sabathia 13-4, Phil Hughes 12-3, Andy Pettitte 11-2) and that trio is nearly unbeatable with a collective record of 36-9.
And as usual the Yankees bats have been on fire abusing opposing pitchers with power at every position in the lineup and no easy outs from 1 spot to the 9 spot.
But the Rays are no slouch either. With a record of 61-38, Tampa Bay is just 2.0 games behind the Yankees in the AL East standings and could easily have the best record not only the division, but in all the MLB betting action by the time this series is over.
The Rays also have outstanding pitching led by ace David Price. Price (13-5, 2.90) might just be the best pitcher in baseball. He’s joined in the rotation by Matt Garza (11-5); James Shields (9-9) and Jeff Nieman (8-3) who is all have terrific statistical seasons.
For Friday’s game the Yanks’ Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04) start against the Rays’ fifth starter Wade Davis who also happens to be the only Tampa starter with a losing record (8-9, 4.32). On paper Hughes is the better pitcher and the Yanks have the better closer in the legendary Mariano Rivera.
But for some reason you have to like the Rays in this game. Tampa has won four games in row, is 7-3 over its last 10 games and seems like a team that’s really playing well at the moment. Plus, they’ve got home field advantage and the team looks very comfortable inside the Big Juice Box at the moment.
