Yankees vs Rays Prediction, Picks and MLB Prop Bets, April 17: Bet on Tampa Bay’s Aranda 2+ Total Bases

We knew this day would come, but it won’t be any less awkward. The New York Yankees will invade George M. Steinbrenner Stadium on Thursday to take on the host Tampa Bay Rays. The visiting Yankees carry a three-game win streak into their spring home and the MLB odds today reflect that.

This is a big four-game set and those looking at wagering on the series should find some MLB futures betting choices. Below are a few game market picks and some quality MLB prop bets.

Yankees vs Rays Prediction Today, April 17, 2025

My prediction

• New York Yankees +1.5 Runs (-190)

The Yankees are the better team, the hotter team and playing on one of their home fields, likely to be surrounded by many of their Floridian fans. The Rays have, on paper, the pitching advantage with Taj Bradley going up against New York rotation fill-in Will Warren. But you could do a lot worse with your MLB game prediction than taking the Yankees to cover against a Rays team that’s 6-12 against the run line.

Bet on New York Yankees +1.5 Runs (-190)

• Yankees vs Rays Over 9 Runs (-115)

Steinbrenner Field has been playing very friendly to hitters so far. Warren enters with an 8.35 ERA in nine career games (eight starts), although a much more pedestrian 5.14 mark in 2025. Those two factors alone give us good reason to expect some scoring at some point.

Bet on Yankees vs Rays Over 9 Runs (-115)

Yankees vs Rays Prop Picks and Best Bets

• Jonathan Aranda to Record 2+ Total Bases (+133)

One of the only Rays players hitting the ball hard with regularity, Aranda is third in the majors in average exit velocity behind Gunnar Henderson and Aaron Judge. Warren likes to throw offspeed stuff to lefties such as Aranda, and Aranda has been smoking breaking pitches so far.

Bet on Jonathan Aranda to Record 2+ Total Bases (+133)

Jonathan Aranda’s Rankings:

wRC+: 255 (1st)
wOBA: .521 (1st)
SLG: .761 (1st)
AVG: .413 (1st)
OPS: 1.242 (1st)
AVG EV: 96.6 MPH (T-1st)
OBP: .481 (2nd)

He has been the 11th most valuable player to start 2025 with 1.0 fWAR

Very very impressive!pic.twitter.com/HSNYnoqiAD

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) April 16, 2025

• Will Warren Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+118)

This right-hander has bumped up his strikeout totals as the young season has progressed, recording four, five and six Ks in his three starts. He has 44 punchouts in 36⅔ innings as a major leaguer. Warren picked up his first career victory his last time out against San Francisco and we like him to get enough swings and misses.

Include this in your MLB player prop today and cheer on this Yankees starter.

Bet on Will Warren Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+118)

• YRFI (-112)

These teams both rank among the top eight in terms of first-inning scoring percentage. Warren has posted some pretty good first-inning numbers but the sample size is tiny, while Bradley has been knocked around in the opening frame at times over the years. The specter of Judge looms over Bradley’s first frame, and the Yankees slugger is a massive roadblock on the way to a scoreless first. In case you missed the MLB news, he went deep to cap New York’s 4-3 win over Kansas City on Wednesday and is hitting .588 with four walks during a five-game hitting streak.

Bet on YRFI (-112)

Aaron Judge goes deep to give the Yankees the lead! 👨‍⚖️ pic.twitter.com/HcQ864UFNA

— MLB (@MLB) April 17, 2025

Yankees vs Rays How to Watch

• Game: New York Yankees (11-7) vs Tampa Bay Rays (8-10)
• Date/Time: April 17, 7:05 p.m. ET
• Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Fla.
• Yankees vs Rays Live Stream: MLB.tv

Check here for Yankees vs Rays stats.

Get More MLB Game Picks, Expert Analysis and Best Bets

• Yankees vs Rays Same Game Parlay Picks for April 17: Back New York to Win at Steinbrenner Field

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.