Playoff baseball returns to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the first time since 2023 as the Tampa Bay Rays are set to host their AL East rivals, the New York Yankees, in Game 1 of the ALDS Saturday night.
The Rays finished the 2026 MLB regular season atop the AL East for the first time since 2021 and also owned the best record in the American League this year to earn the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AL side of the playoffs.
The Yankees, meanwhile, finished the season right behind Tampa Bay in second place in the AL East and earned the top AL Wild Card spot as the No. 4 seed. New York faced fellow AL East team Boston in the AL Wild Card Series and absolutely dominated its rival, outscoring the Red Sox 18-2 en route to a two-game sweep with stellar starting pitching performances from Cam Schlittler and Max Fried.
Veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole will get the Game 1 start for the Yankees in the ALDS as he looks to continue New York’s starting pitching dominance in this year’s postseason. Cole posted a 3.61 ERA across 22 regular-season starts this year and owns an 11-6 all-time record in the playoffs with a 2.77 ERA.
All-Star right-hander Drew Rasmussen is set to take the mound for the Rays in what could end up being a pitchers’ duel after he posted a 16-5 record with a 2.67 ERA and 0.91 WHIP during the regular season. The Yankees may, however, have a starting pitching advantage Saturday night when it comes to postseason experience, as Rasmussen has pitched just 4.2 innings in the playoffs during his career.
We’ve got Yankees vs. Rays predictions, picks, and more for Saturday night’s ALDS Game 1 at Tropicana Field.
Yankees vs. Rays Odds for Game 1
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook lists the Rays as home favorites for Game 1:
Yankees vs. Rays Predictions
Head over to Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook to check out the baseball betting markets throughout the MLB playoffs, as well as the Stats Hub to help make more informed wagers like our Yankees vs. Rays prediction for Game 1 below:
Rays vs. Yankees Best Bet: Yandy Díaz Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI (-125)
Yandy Díaz just put together yet another incredible offensive season for the Rays in 2026. The veteran slashed .293/.359/.446 with 22 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 93 runs scored.
The Stats Hub notes that Díaz has recorded at least one hit in 18 of his last 19 appearances against the Yankees at Tropicana Field. The Rays’ designated hitter also had a lot of success against the Yankees specifically in 2026, hitting .362 with 10 RBIs and six runs scored in 12 games. Díaz’s home splits were also better than his road splits overall during the regular season.
Another important factor is that Díaz has hit well against Gerrit Cole throughout his career. Díaz owns a career .340 batting average with a .909 OPS in 50 at-bats against Cole and went 3-for-6 with a double against him in 2026.
- Rays vs. Yankees Player Prop Pick for ALDS Game 1: Yandy Díaz Over 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBI (-125)
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for NYY-TB
Ben Rice made his mark on the Yankees’ AL Wild Card Series win over Boston, and he’s also making his mark in the player prop markets, owning the most-bet prop for Game 1 Saturday night:
- Ben Rice – Over 0.5 Hits
- Junior Caminero – Over 0.5 Hits
- Yandy Díaz – Over 0.5 Hits
- Ben Rice – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Junior Caminero – Over 0.5 Home Runs
Yankees vs. Rays Betting Splits
Here’s how the action is trending at Hard Rock Bet for Yankees vs. Rays Game 1:
- The moneyline action is nearly even, but the Rays have the edge with 52.1% of tickets and 54.2% of the dollars.
- The run line action is similarly close, with the Yankees drawing 57.1% of tickets, but Tampa Bay is receiving 54.6% of the dollars.
- The Over accounts for 84% of tickets on the total, but the money is split 50/50 between the Over and Under, with both generating 50% of the dollars.
Yankees vs. Rays Game Info
- 📍 Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
- 📅 Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
- ⏰ First Pitch: 6:30 PM ET
- 📺💻 TV/Streaming: TBS, truTV
- ⚾ Probable Pitchers:
- Yankees: Gerrit Cole
- Rays: Drew Rasmussen
- 🏆 Stage: ALDS – Game 1
More Ways to Bet
One swing can cash your ticket, but until then, Florida players can keep things interesting with Real Money Games powered by Past Motor Racing, only on Hard Rock Bet. It’s another way to stay engaged between plate appearances.
Referenced odds are subject to change.
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