Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Prediction, 5/3/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025

Location: Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY

TV: YES

Odds/Point Spread: Tampa Bay (+102) New York (-122)

Yankee Stadium is where the New York Yankees (18-13) will attempt to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays (14-16) on Saturday. The moneyline on this matchup has Tampa Bay at +102 while New York is opening at -122. The over/under is 9. The starting pitchers will be Zack Littell and Clarke Schmidt.

Tampa Bay owns a slugging percentage of .382 and have struck out 250 times, while taking a walk on 96 occasions. They have accounted for 114 runs batted in and 249 hits over the course of the season, and their batting average is at .248. The Rays have accrued 50 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 26 baseballs out of the stadium. They have accounted for 119 runs while holding a team OBP of .316. As a squad, the Tampa Bay Rays are scoring 4.0 runs per outing, which has them sitting at 19th in baseball.

Get all of our MLB Parlay Picks

The Rays are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.42 on the year (7th in MLB), and the staff has struck out 254 hitters. Rays pitchers have given up 40 home runs and 110 total runs (6th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 82 players from the other team and their FIP sits at 4.16 as a team so far this year. Tampa Bay has relinquished 228 base hits (7.6 per 9 innings) in addition to 103 earned runs. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 3.10 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.15.

The Rays have sent 92 relief pitchers to the hill this season. The relievers have inherited 13 base runners on the campaign with 46.2% of those players crossed the plate. They have accumulated 8 saves on the season and have not converted 3 of their 11 chances to save the game. The Rays relief pitchers have recorded a save rate of 72.7% and stepped onto the hill in 25 save situations. The relief pitchers have earned 14 holds this year (23rd in MLB). Rays pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on base 10 times in addition to having 28 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Rays have transformed 72.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of 2,436 innings, which has them ranked 6th in baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated 812 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 286 assists and 12 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .989 which ranks 4th in MLB, and have a total of 34 double plays.

Littell (25-26 career record) sits with a FIP of 3.94 while he has faced 1,894 hitters during his time in the majors. He has conceded 457 hits (9.1 hits per 9 innings) and has had 111 free passes. His ERA is 4.00 (200 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.262. Littell has pitched in 450 innings and has totaled 388 punch outs during his career.

The New York Yankees have earned an OBP of .351 in addition to a team batting average of .267 on the campaign. They have struck out on 296 instances (2nd in the league) and have notched a total of 283 base hits. New York has hit 53 home runs so far this season as well as 171 RBIs. The Yankees have a team slugging percentage of .478 and they are scoring 5.71 runs per contest (2nd in MLB). They have put up 56 doubles, while taking a walk 124 times as well as scoring 177 runs.

The New York pitching staff have relinquished 125 runs on the year and come in with a team ERA of 3.72 (112 earned runs yielded). They have allowed 30 dingers and they concede 4.15 runs per 9 innings (11th in the league). The Yankees have a WHIP of 1.196 and have a FIP of 3.83 as a squad this season. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 9.40 (283 strikeouts against 121 bases on balls). They rank 1st in baseball as a staff in total hits surrendered with 203.

New York relief pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 14.9% of 47 inherited base runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 23 times in high leverage situations in addition to 34 occasions with runners on base. With 31 save situations, the Yankees have amassed 19 holds and also 3 blown saves. They are ranked 7th in MLB with a save rate of 75.0%, and they have dispatched 98 relievers to the mound so far this year. New York has had bullpen pitchers take the mound in 12 save chances and they have earned 9 saves.

In 2,439 innings on the field, the Yankees are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 73.4% (2nd in MLB). The New York Yankees have turned 19 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (14th in baseball). The Yankees have accrued 261 assists, 15 errors and have amassed 813 putouts so far this season.

So far in his career, Schmidt has conceded 316 base hits while tallying 326 strikeouts in 328 innings. Schmidt (19-21 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 4.03 ERA and has given up 8.7 hits per 9 innings. He has conceded a total of 147 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.322 and a FIP of 4.0. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.76 and he has gone up against 1,419 opposing batters so far in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (+102)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here