Rays vs. Yankees Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers for Friday, July 19

The Rays and Yankees will return to action on Friday night in New York.

Jul 12, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a second inning pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The All-Star break is over and it's time to get back to the action.

The break came at the perfect time for the New York Yankees, who are just 8-17 since June 15. They hope the week off will give them a chance to reset and return to the dominant form they were in at the beginning of the 2024 season.

They'll take on the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend in a three-game home set, starting on Friday night.

Let's dive into everything you need to know to bet on this game.

Rays vs. Yankees Odds, Run Line, and Total

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line:

• Rays +1.5 (-138)
• Yankees -1.5 (+115)

Moneyline:

• Rays +154
• Yankees -184

Total:

• 8.0 (Over -115/Under -105)

Rays vs. Yankees Probable Pitchers

• Tampa Bay: Zach Eflin (5-6, 3.99 ERA)
• New York: Gerrit Cole (2-1, 5.40 ERA)

Rays vs. Yankees How to Watch

• Date: Friday, July 18
• Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
• Venue: Yankee Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): YES, Bally Sports Sun
• Rays record: 49-48
• Yankees record: 58-40

Rays vs. Yankees Key Players to Watch

Tampa Bay Rays

Yandy Diaz: The Rays' 1st baseman has been one of the better players this season, and his bat has got even hotter of late. Since June 1, he has a batting average of .314 while batting in 21 runs. If he can keep up that level of play, the Rays are going to have a shot of making a run in the second half of the season.

New York Yankees

Gerrit Cole: The Yankees' ace will be making his fifth stat of the season on Friday night. He's had an up-and-down start to his campaign since returning from injury, with three solid starts but two bad starts. It will be interesting to see if he can find some level of consistency against the Rays.

Rays vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

There's no reason to push the panic button the Yankees quite yet. They haven't had their best stuff over the past month and a half, but they still rank 11th in OPS since the beginning of June, which is still five spots above the Rays who come in at 16th in OPS over that time frame.

Cole has also been much better than his 5.40 ERA indicates. His latest start against the Orioles is a good sign of what's to come. He took on arguably the best offense in the Majors and pitched 6.0 innings while giving up just one earned run.

Expect the Yankees to bounce back in a big way on Friday night in this AL East showdown.

Pick: Yankees -184

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!