New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 7/9/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, July 9, 2026

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: MLB.TV

Odds/Point Spread: New York (-128) Tampa Bay (+106)

Tropicana Field is the location where the Tampa Bay Rays (53-36) will compete against the New York Yankees (50-41) on Thursday. The odds on this game have New York at -128 and Tampa Bay is at +106. The betting total is set at 9. The men taking the mound will be Elmer Rodriguez and Drew Rasmussen.

New York has a slugging rate of .419 and have struck out 824 times, while drawing a walk on 352 occasions. They have compiled 415 RBI's in addition to 705 hits on the year, and their team batting average sits at .234. The Yankees have earned 135 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 132 baseballs out of the stadium. They have accounted for 436 runs while holding a team OBP of .316. As a unit, the New York Yankees are putting up 4.8 runs/g, which has them at 9th in MLB.

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The Yankees have a team ERA of 3.40 for the season (2nd in the league), and their staff has rung up 794 batters. Yankees pitchers have allowed 90 home runs and also 356 runs in total (6th in MLB). They have walked 275 players from the other team and their FIP sits at 3.75 as a unit over the course of the season. New York has allowed 688 base hits (7.7 per 9 innings) and 305 earned runs. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.89 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.19.

Yankees relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with players on base 101 times as well as having 97 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have tallied 43 holds for the year (22nd in the league). The Yankees relievers have a save rate of 61.8% and have stepped onto the mound in 78 save situations. They have compiled 21 saves this season and have blown 13 of 34 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 151 runners for the year with 26.5% of those players crossing the plate. The Yankees have dispatched 298 relief pitchers to the hill for the season.

The Yankees have transformed 70.9% of baseballs in play into outs in their 7,269 innings on the field, which ranks them 8th in MLB. The New York Yankees have amassed 2,423 putouts thus far, in addition to 796 assists and 53 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .984 which is 20th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 61 double plays.

Rodriguez (0-2 win-loss mark in his career) has earned a FIP of 4.69 while he has gone up against 83 opposing hitters during his time in the majors. He has surrendered 19 base hits (10.1 hits per nine innings) with 11 walks. His ERA is 4.76 (9 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.765. Rodriguez has taken the mound for 17 innings and is sitting with 10 punch outs during his career.

Tampa Bay has 87 HRs this season as well as 384 runs batted in. They have recorded 123 doubles, while walking 319 times and racking up 403 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have earned a team OBP of .334 as well as a batting average of .257 over the course of the season. The Rays hold a slugging percentage of .396 and they average 4.53 runs per contest (16th in the league). They have been called out on strikes on 637 instances (30th in baseball) and have recorded 763 base knocks.

The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.171 and have a FIP of 4.15 as a pitching staff so far this season. They rank 5th in MLB as a staff in total hits surrendered with 692. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 370 runs over the course of the season and come in with a team ERA of 3.76 (332 earned runs yielded). Their K/BB ratio sits at 8.20 (720 strikeouts against 238 walks). They have given up 112 dingers and they allow 4.19 runs per 9 innings (9th in MLB).

Tampa Bay bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 25.0% out of 104 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have come in 91 times in high leverage situations and also on 73 occasions with runners on. With 118 save situations, the Rays have compiled 69 holds and also 13 blown saves. They rank 5th in baseball holding a save rate of 73.5%, and they have sent 282 bullpen pitchers to the mound on the campaign.

The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 57 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .983 (22nd in professional baseball). The Rays have recorded 715 assists, 54 errors and have accounted for 2,382 putouts over the course of the season. In their 7,146 innings on the field, the Rays have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 71.9% (2nd in MLB).

During his pro baseball career, Rasmussen has conceded 442 hits while earning 524 K's in 557 innings pitched. Rasmussen (37-21 career record) has a 2.88 earned run average while allowing 7.1 hits per 9 innings. He has allowed 178 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.037 and having a FIP of 2.8. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.85 and he has gone up against 2,218 batters in his career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take New York (-128)

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