The New York Yankees (22-19 SU, +2.54 Units) have desperately looking for ways to get some of their aging veterans some days off. Don't be surprised if you see a lot of men not in the fold on Sunday against the Texas Rangers (17-23 SU, -0.96 Units), particularly with a day game coming on Memorial Day to kick off a big series against Kansas City.
PITCHING MATCHUP
We're going to talk about the Yankee bullpen in just a moment, but it is clear to us that there are going to be a lot of arms used in this game. Chris Capuano made his first start of the season against the Royals last week, and he only made it through three innings, allowing four runs in the process.
A quad injury is what hurt Capuano, and all of the reports after the game suggested that he had a hard time pushing off the rubber to get maximum velocity on the ball. Against a lineup which features a lot of potential home run hitters, there could be a lot of problems. Remember that Capuano has now allowed 11 homers in just 100.1 innings over the course of the last two seasons, and those home runs often lead to crooked numbers on the board, which could be a killer in live betting if you're on the wrong side.
Yovani Gallardo had a lot of tough luck against the Red Sox in his last start. Boston's BABIP against him that night was right at .500, a number which obviously isn't sustainable. He allowed 10 hits on the day, two of which went for home runs.
Gallardo has given up seven dingers already this season, which is enough proof for us that Milwaukee got rid of him at the right time. It's not just the home runs that are the problem, though. Gallardo's velocity is reportedly way down this year. Keep an eye on the radar gun. If the righty isn't hitting 92 or 93 MPH, he's a definite fade in live betting.
ADVANCED STATS
Defensive metrics aren't New York's friend right now. The Yankees have a UZR of -7.2, proving that they are one of the worst defensive teams in baseball. However, when you go back and look at their pitchers, they have a team BABIP against of just .294. Theoretically, when your defensive range is that bad, you should have a higher BABIP.
Capuano has never been known as a strikeout pitcher, so the defense behind him can't rely upon free outs that way. Texas has been a relatively unlucky team this season when it gets the bat on the ball (.280 BABIP and .146 ISO as a team), so playing against this Yankee defense could prove to be a blessing.
Getting the bat on the ball is key, though. The Rangers have a strikeout rate of 21.0 percent this season, which is far too high.
TALKING BULLPENS
Even though Andrew Miller just allowed his first two runs of the season, he and Dellin Betances have still been two of the most valuable relief pitchers in the game this year.
Texas' bullpen… not so much.
The Rangers rank 27th in the league in K/9 ratio out of their pen at just 7.00, and they are stranding just 73.2 percent of their inherited runners. That number should be up around 80 percent, and the best bullpens are in the low- to mid-80 percent range.
The bottom line is that we just don't know who Texas is calling upon in any situation, as there is no set form for how this pen is called into action. Even with that in mind, there really isn't a pitcher we know we can trust out of that bullpen. Consider all calls to the bullpen big time dangers for the Rangers in live betting.
The MLB lines for this Sunday contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame pitting the Texas Rangers versus the New York Yankees will commence Sunday, May 24, 2015 at 8:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. You can watch the contest live on ESPN.
