The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees begin a four-game series in the Big Apple on Monday afternoon.
The Rays have been one of the hottest teams in the majors and will look to continue their recent success against their AL East foes.
Here are our best free Rays vs. Yankees picks and predictions for MLB betting action on Monday, May 31, with the first pitch at 1:05 p.m. ET.
Rays vs Yankees game info
• Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
• Date: Monday, May 31, 2021
• Time: 1:05 a.m. ET
• TV: BS-Sun, YES
Rays vs Yankees odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Rays vs Yankees betting preview
Starting pitchers
Rich Hill (3-2, 3.63 ERA): Hill is having a resurgent season at the age of 41, as the southpaw has a 1.02 WHIP with an opponent batting average of .196 through 52 innings over 10 starts. He's coming off an impressive outing against the Royals where he logged a season-high eight innings, fanned 13 batters and allowed two runs.
Jameson Taillon (1-3, 5.06 ERA): The former second-overall pick is trying to recapture his early-career promise in Pittsburgh after recovering from two Tommy John surgeries. He's had an up-and-down first season in New York but is coming off his best performance, holding the White Sox to just a pair of hits and zero runs through five innings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Rays: Nick Anderson RP (Out), Jalen Beeks RP (Out).
Yankees: Aaron Hicks CF (Out), Luke Voit 1B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 10-1 in the Yankees' last 11 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Yankees.
Moneyline pick
Many people were surprised when Tampa Bay won the AL East title and made the World Series in 2020, but the Rays are proving that last year was no fluke. They have gone a sizzling 15-1 over their last 16 games to take over the top spot in the division with a 34-20 record.
The Yankees are coming off a three-game series sweep at the hands of the woeful Detroit Tigers and have lost five of their previous six contests.
We're now about a third of the way through the season but the Yankees star-studded lineup continues to underachieve. The Bronx Bombers have bombed, ranking just 18th in the majors with an OPS of .690, with that number dropping to .666 over the last 15 days.
On the other hand, the lightly-regarded Rays lineup has been raking on the road, where they lead the majors in runs per game (6.35) and OPS (.772). They've also been even better lately, posting a sensational OPS of .844 over the last 15 days.
Tampa Bay starter Rich Hill has looked very strong lately. After allowing four runs in each of his first four outings of the year, he has allowed two runs or fewer in his previous six starts.
With the Rays red-hot, having the edge both on the mound and at the plate, and boasting a 19-7 record in the last 26 games in the head-to-head, back them this afternoon.
PREDICTION: Tampa Bay (+100)
Over/Under pick
Hill has been on fire this month, pitching to a 0.91 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP in 29 2-3 innings across five starts. He has also pitched well against the Yankees this season, allowing four runs and fanning 16 batters across 12 2-3 innings.
Although Yankees starter Jameson Taillon has been inconsistent this season, New York's bullpen has been outstanding, ranking fourth in the majors with an ERA of 2.88.
That said, despite the Rays battling a slew of injuries to their relievers, they rank just behind the Yankees in fifth place with a collective ERA of 3.49.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have really struggled to generate offense, plating just 2.73 runs per game over their last 11 contests.
With such an ugly display of hitting it should be little surprise that New York has been money for Under bettors, going below the total in 10 of those previous 11 games. Expect the Under to cash again.
PREDICTION: Under 8.5 (-110)
Rays vs Yankees betting card
- Tampa Bay ML (+100)
- Under 8.5 (-110)
Picks made on 5/31/2021 at 9:30 a.m. ET
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