Rays vs. Yankees Prediction and Odds for Thursday, June 16 (Trust Severino to Lead Bombers in Home Win)
By Matt De Saro
I expect this game to be a big ol’ pitching mismatch between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays need to win as many games as they can against their AL East rivals to try and keep pace with the best team in baseball.
Not only are the Yankees the best team in baseball. They also remain one of the hottest and have a massive advantage on the mound with Luis Severino and Drew Rasmussen going to battle.
Here are the odds for this game from consensus sportsbooks.
Rays vs. Yankees Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line
- Rays: +1.5 (-145)
- Yankees: -1.5 (+125)
Moneyline:
- Rays: +140
- Yankees: -160
Total:
- Total 8 (Over -105/Under -115)
Rays vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick
Let’s start at the bottom with Rasmussen and work our way up. At 5-3, Rasmussen has a decent 3.41 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. On most days I would not pass him over as quickly as I’m prepared to do today. This is due in large part to Rasmussen’s awful track record against the Yankees. Since 2020, the Yankees are hitting .357 against Rasmussen with an OPS of .857. But the Yankees are hitting everyone right now and lead the MLB in home runs and rank third in runs scored.
Moving on to Severino, the righty is making his 12th start of the year for the Bombers with a 4-1 record. He has an ERA of 2.80 and a WHIP of 1.03. Similar numbers to Rasmussen aside from one very important difference. Severino has a career batting average against (BAA) of .158 when facing off with the current Rays roster. Severino has 18 strikeouts against them in 46 at-bats with just four walks and seven hits.
It’s hard to bet against the Yankees right now despite a lack of value. But, with Severino on the mound, I feel better about taking a chance on them to cover their fourth game in a row.
Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+125)
Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE