Rays vs. Yankees Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, June 14 (Back OVER Between Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber )

Despite being 10 games over .500, the Tampa Bay Rays are still in third place in a very competitive AL East. They are neck and neck with the Toronto Blue Jays for second place but both teams are way behind the New York Yankees in first place.

And for good reason, as the Yankees have lost just one game so far in June and enter this series 15-3 in their last 18 games. The Rays are playing well, but not that well. Heck, nobody is and that is why the Yankees have the best record in the Majors. 

But, there is one small problem today with the Yankees as heavy home favorites. That problem’s name is Gerrit Cole after he remains very inconsistent in 2022. 

Here are the odds for this game from WynnBET Sportsbook.

Rays vs. Yankees Odds, Run Line, and Total

Run Line

• Rays: +1.5 (-120)
• Yankees: -1.5 (+100)

Moneyline:

• Rays: +170
• Yankees: -200

Total:

• Total 8 (Over -110/Under -110)

Rays vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

As a Yankee fan, I was stoked when I found out that Cole would don the pinstripes in 2020. And while it’s been a good move overall, things this year have been a bit shaky. Many chalk this up to the rule changes surrounding “sticky stuff” that pitchers have come to rely on.

It’s a hard theory to argue against. Cole enters this game at 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, so it’s not been terribly bad. But Cole has become susceptible to getting rocked every few starts.

Since the start of May, Cole has given up three or more runs in three of his last six starts. Twice in his last four games Cole has given up five or more earned runs. On top of that, he is coming off a seven-run disaster against the Twins.

I did a double-take when I saw this but Cole gave up five home runs to Minnesota in 2 ⅓ innings before getting pulled after just 70 pitches. The Yankees still won, but no thanks to Cole. Despite all this, Cole is still one of the best in the game and it never feels great to bet against him. Especially with Corey Kluber on the mound. 

There are a lot of starters on the Rays that I would trust to lead them past the Yankees in this spot. Kluber is not one of those names. While he’s been very good overall this year, including six strong innings against the Yankees, I think his momentum gets crushed tonight. 

I said it’s hard to bet against Cole, and in some ways that I am not. But, I see a lot of potential for runs tonight and the total here is rather low. Let’s try and beat this game’s total and not play around with what could be a messy pitcher’s duel. 

Pick: OVER 8 (-110)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE.