The New York Yankees have veteran lefthander Andy Pettitte as their probable starting pitcher for Wednesday night as they close out a three-game MLB betting series in Tampa Bay.
Pettitte has been effective for New York so far this season, posting a 3-0 record and a 2.01 ERA over his first three outings of 2013. The lefthander gave up zero earned runs over 7 1-3 innings when he last faced the Rays back in June of last year.
The Rays will turn to Alex Cobb and his 2-1 record as they look for a win in this one, while the Yankees send Andy Pettitte (3-0) to the hill.
View NY Yankees vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had set the Rays as -120 favorites on the moneyline for this contest. The over under was hovering near 7.5 for bettors hoping to turn a profit on totals at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings:
The Rays sit at No. 4 in the American League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Yankees sit at an American League No. 1 on the same chart.
How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Tampa Bay's American League No. 12-ranked scoring average of 3.8 runs per game, against a Yankees offense rated No. 2 and scoring 4.9 runs per game in the league. The Rays have averaged 7.3 hits per game to date this season, less than the Yankees hitters have managed (9.1 per nine innings).
Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Tampa Bay has the American League's No. 5-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Yankees own the American League's No. 9 mark in runs allowed.
Last time out for New York, they were a 4-3 Sportsbook as they battled the Rays on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Yankees at +168 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Yankees enjoyed a 4-3 victory at the expense of the Rays on Tuesday, with Philip Hughes throwing 7 innings of 6-hit ball at Tropicana Field.
New York Yankees Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Toronto are 7-3
After playing Tampa Bay are 7-3
After a win are 6-4
Tampa Bay Rays Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 8-2
Before playing Chi White Sox are 7-3
After playing NY Yankees are 3-7
After a loss are 5-5
A few Yankees at Rays trends to consider:
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Yankees' last 11 games
NY Yankees are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games
NY Yankees are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 12-3 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Next up:
NY Yankees home to Toronto, Thursday, April 25
Tampa Bay at Chi White Sox, Thursday, April 25
