Oakland Athletics vs Tamps Bay Rays Prediction: Will Ryan Yarbrough Return To Form?
Oakland Athletics vs Tamps Bay Rays Prediction: Will Ryan Yarbrough Return To Form?
Athletics vs. Rays Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: May 3, 2022
- Game Time: 9:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB Extra Innings, NBC Sports California
Oakland Athletics vs Tamps Bay Rays Pick
1u - Ryan Yarbrough u16.5 pitching outs (-130) (Bet $130 to win $100)
*Odds available at DraftKings at time of publishing*
Oakland Athletics vs Tamps Bay Rays Prediction
I think Yarbough is a fine player and Oakland isn’t the scariest of opponents by any means. This is strictly a bet where I’m banking on a pitch count. Yarbough is finally returning from a groin injury and he will be making his 2022 debut tonight. The rumor is he should be capped between 70-80 pitches, if that's the case I love our odds here. Yarbrough will likely have to shake off some dust and if that’s the case he may not be located as well as we’re accustomed to seeing. The more balls he throws the better so he hits that pitch count in the 5th or earlier.
Dating back to last season when he was fully healthy he was much worse in road games. He sported a 5.49 ERA on the road and was worse in the night games than day games as well. Both splits are in our favor and his return from injury, in addition, makes it hard to think he can do 5.2 innings or more. Carlos Rodon was the last lefty that Oakland faced and he only went six innings. Yarbrough isn’t half the pitcher of Rodon so I wouldn’t expect them to go the same distance. We could win this bet multiple ways which I love, he could either completely blow and get pulled early or have a solid game but Oakland fouls off pitches and take multiple balls out of the zone and he finishes with five innings pitched but a good outing.
I’m definitely shocked the books released a line for him today with the assumption that he is on a pitch count. I think Kevin Cash makes the logical choice and eases him back into the rotation. Asking for 17 outs out of this guy is asking a lot. The Rays bullpen has been playing pretty well as they are the 8th best bullpen in the bullpen in terms of runs allowed. They should play to their strengths if the game remains close and get those arms out there. I feel really good about this one and you should too, I would also play this at u15.5 outs if the line moves.