The New York Yankees will travel to St. Petersburg, Florida, to face the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:50 PM ET on Friday evening and will air on Bally Sports Sun and the YES Network.
The New York Yankees saw their five-game winning streak end on Thursday with a 3-4 loss at home in Game 3 of the series against the Houston Astros. However, the Yankees enter the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, having won two consecutive series, following a 3-0 series sweep at home against the Detroit Tigers and a 2-1 series win against the Houston Astros at home. During that stretch, the Yankees have won by an average margin of 2.83 runs per game.
This will be the 2nd series this season between the Yankees and Rays, with the previous series resulting in a 2-1 series win at home for the Yankees while winning by an average margin of .33 runs per game in those meetings. During that stretch, New York won four of the previous seven meetings with an average margin of .57 runs per game.
The Yankees have one of the best records in the American League at 25-14 and are in 2nd place in the AL East with a record of 25-14. The New York Yankees will look to win their 6th game in their last seven matchups when they travel to face the Tampa Bay Rays for Game 1 of the series.
The Tampa Bay Rays are a .500 team early on in the 2024 MLB season. They enter this game with a record of 19-19, which puts them in 4th place in the AL East. They have won five of their last six games, including a 2-1 series win at home against the Chicago White Sox. However, the series against the White Sox ended with a 1-4 loss in Game 3, which also ended their five-game winning streak.
Like the Yankees, the Rays have won their previous two series, with Tampa Bay having swept the New York Mets 3-0 at home and winning the series against the White Sox 2-1 at home. Tampa Bay lost the previous series this season against the Yankees 1-2. However, Tampa Bay dominated the series last season, winning eight of the 13 games and winning by an average margin of 1 run per game in those meetings.
The Tampa Bay Rays will look to even the series at 2-2 this season when they host the New York Yankees for Game 1 on Friday evening.
BetNow has the New York Yankees listed as -140 moneyline favorites on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays for Game 1 of the series on Friday evening. Tampa Bay has won six of the previous ten meetings and an average margin of .4 runs per game in those contests, while the Yankees have won two of the last three games in the series and have won by an average margin of .33 runs per game.
Both teams have been hot and have won five of their previous six games; however, the Yankees have the better record this season as they are in 2nd place in the AL East, while the Rays are in 4th place in the division. The Yankees have won two of the three games this season and have won by an average margin of .33 runs per game in those contests, which is why I am taking the moneyline for the New York Yankees when they travel to face the Tampa Bay Rays for Game 1 of the series on Friday evening.
