Tuesday will be an important night for the New York Yankees and the rest of this season because they are welcoming back former National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton from a long injury absence. The Yanks are also favored on the MLB Odds against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

How to Bet Rays vs Yankees MLB Week 12 Betting Lines & Game Info

• When: Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET
• Where: Yankee Stadium
• Probable pitchers (away/home): Ryan Yarbrough/JA Happ
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• Radio: WFAN
• MLB Week 12 Betting Lines: New York Yankees -145 (Total 10)

Why Bet on Tampa Bay?

Reliever Jose Alvarado (family) has returned to the United States and will get in some work at extended spring training before being activated from the restricted list. Alvarado had been in his native Venezuela to deal with an unspecified family medical emergency. He’s missed two weeks of action.

The Rays are 28-5 (.848) when scoring 5 runs (or more). The Rays are 22-6 when scoring in the 1st inning and 33-10 when scoring first. Their 14 homers in the 1st inning are only one shy of matching their total from last season which was the fewest in the AL. In their wins this year, the Rays are batting .301 with runners in scoring position. By comparison, they are batting .162 with RISP in their losses.

It’s expected to be Ryan Yarbrough on the mound. Yarbrough allowed five runs on five hits and one walk across six innings while taking the loss Thursday against the Angels. He struck out four. Yarbrough allowed just five hits in his outing but all five went for extra bases, including a three-run home run from Shohei Ohtani and a two-run shot from Albert Pujols. He pitched quite well other than that, needing an economical 90 pitches to complete six frames.

Yarbrough fell to 5-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 10 games (four starts). His 1.08 WHIP is excellent. He has 34 strikeouts and nine walks in 48 1/3 innings. Yarbrough’s form has been erratic lately; he’s allowed five or more earned runs three times in the last six starts while yielding two or fewer in the other three. The Rays have recorded six shutouts, tied for 4th in the majors.

The Rays have lost 13 of their last 14 series at Yankee Stadium. The Rays are 6-16 (.273) at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2017 season, and they are 8-21 (.276) there since Aug 12, 2016, and 12-31 (.279) there since Sep 10, 2014.

Team Stats

• Runs: 4.71
• Hits: 9.11
• Walks: 3.44
• Strike Outs: 9.39

• Runs: 3.34
• Hits: 7.23
• Walks: 2.90
• Strike Outs: 9.59

Why Bet on New York?

The Bombers acquired slugger Edwin Encarnacion from Seattle over the weekend. Encarnacion, 36, has hit 21 home runs this season in 65 games. The Dominican slugger has 18 career home runs at Yankee Stadium, his second most at any stadium that he has not previously called home, trailing only Fenway Park. Manager Aaron Boone says Encarnacion will be the Yankees’ primary designated hitter but that he might occasionally see some time at first base as well. The Yankees have been using a rotation at designated hitter, with a group that, of late, has included regulars Luke Voit and Gary Sanchez as well as Clint Frazier — and any other player in need of a partial day off. Frazier was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, and he wasn’t happy about it, to say the least.

With Edwin Encarnacion joining the active roster — and with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge on their way back from the injured list — there was simply no room left for Frazier at the big league level. It’s likely that he could be used as a trade chip to acquire starting pitching in the coming weeks before the trade deadline. If the Yankees want Frazier to play every day so he can improve, particularly defensively, or so that he can improve his trade value, letting him start in the minor leagues makes more sense than keeping him on the major-league bench, however.

Slugging outfielder Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t played in the majors since March 31 due to injuries but will return on Tuesday. Stanton, who went on the injured list April 1 with a left biceps strain before sustaining a left shoulder strain while rehabbing the first injury, looked good in his rehab stint, homering five times in five games. He was 2-for-8 with seven walks and four strikeouts in three games for the Yankees this season before going on the injured list. Stanton was the 2017 NL MVP for the Marlins when he hit a career-high 59 homers.

It’s lefty JA Happ (6-3) on the mound. Happ did not factor into the decision in Thursday’s loss to the White Sox, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two through five innings. Happ looked solid until the fourth inning when he loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks. It was the first time all year that Happ pitched with the bases loaded. Despite throwing nine straight balls, the 36-year-old managed to work his way out of the jam without any damage.

However, the White Sox got to Happ again in the fifth. The lefty gave up a leadoff walk to Yolmer Sanchez, then allowed a single to Ryan Cordell and an RBI double to Leury Garcia. Tim Anderson then crushed a three-run, 416-foot homer to even the score, 4-4. The long ball has proven to be Happ’s nemesis this season. He has a 4.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 61:19 K:BB.

Happ is undefeated in his last seven starts (since 5/9), going 5-0 with a 4.38 ERA (37.0IP, 18ER) over the span.

Team Stats

• Runs: 5.35
• Hits: 8.72
• Walks: 3.68
• Strike Outs: 8.70

• Runs: 4.41
• Hits: 8.13
• Walks: 3.06
• Strike Outs: 9.30

Rays vs Yankees MLB Week 12 Betting Trends

• Rays are 12-4 in their last 16 road games vs. a left-handed starter
• Yankees are 6-0 in Happ’s last 6 starts vs. American League East
• Rays are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against NY Yankees
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 7 games on the road
• Yankees are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 10 of NY Yankees’ last 11 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

Expert Final Score Prediction for Rays vs Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays 4 – New York Yankees 7