Rays will take advantage of Yankees' struggles | Why Reds-Cubs should be high scoring

Greetings, gamblers. It's Chris Bengel back in the saddle with you on this beautiful day.

It seems insane that the 2023 NFL season has crept up on us. The NFL Draft wasn't that long ago, but training camp is now in full swing for all 32 teams. In addition, the season isn't too far off considering preseason action begins Thursday when the Jets take on the Browns in the annual Hall of Fame Game.

Football fans will get a closer look at one of the more polarizing teams in the Jets. While quarterback Aaron Rodgers probably won't play much (if at all) during the preseason, it'll still be entertaining to see Rodgers on the Jets sideline along with the team's other skill position players.

Football is still a few days away, though, so let's get to Tuesday's picks on the diamond.

All times Eastern |Game odds via SportsLineconsensus

Rays at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.| Watch live: MLB.tv

• The Pick: Rays (-115)
• Key trend: The Rays have won five of Zach Eflin's last eight starts.

It's safe to say the Yankees have been through their fair share of struggles this season. Their offense has been fairly lackluster recently, so I have no problem backing the Rays in this spot.

The Yankees have dropped three of their past four games, including a 5-1 decision to the Rays on Monday. New York's lineup hasn't been swinging the bats at a great rate lately. Over their last six games, the Yankees are averaging just 3.0 runs per game. If you take out an eight-run outburst against the Orioles on Saturday, they're averaging just 2.0 runs across those other five contests. The Yankees haven't been the dominant offense that we've grown accustomed to seeing year in and year out as they rank 22nd in the majors in runs scored on the year.

Meanwhile, Rays starter Zach Eflin has been one of the more consistent arms in baseball. Eflin leads the Rays in wins (11) and has been victorious in five of his last eight outings. The veteran right-hander has yielded two or fewer runs in six of his last 10 starts, including a pair of shutouts during that stretch. Eflin did give up four earned runs against the Yankees in a start earlier this season, but he did that across six innings while striking out nine batters. Even if Eflin gives up a few runs, the Rays have dynamic enough of an offense to overcome such a performance.

Reds at Cubs, 8:05 p.m.| Watch live: MLB.tv

• The Pick: Over 8.5 (-120)
• Key trend: The over is 5-3-1 in the Cubs' last nine games.

The NL Central division race is really heating up. The Reds are currently leading the way, but the Cubs are still within striking distance as they sit just five games back entering Tuesday. With that in mind, I'm expecting a significant amount of runs to be scored, so the over has to be the play here.

It's no secret that the Reds have developed into one of the league's top offenses this season. Cincinnati currently ranks sixth in runs with a lineup that features young slugger Elly De La Cruz. The Reds are averaging 4.6 runs over their last five contests, and they have put up at least six runs on three occasions during that stretch. Additionally, they roughed up Cubs ace Marcus Stroman on Monday to the tune of six earned runs in just three innings of work.

Cubs starter Justin Steele has enjoyed an All-Star season in 2023, but he has struggled a bit lately. While he does possess a 2.87 ERA on the year, the left-hander has really been hurt by the home run ball in recent weeks. In fact, Steele has surrendered four long balls over his past four starts. For a team that has four players that have hit double-digit home runs, the Reds could put an abundance of runs on the board.

While the Reds have been explosive, the Cubs offense is certainly no slouch. Chicago has scored the ninth-most runs in the majors and possesses a considerable amount of pop in the form of Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson and Patrick Wisdom. Reds starter Ben Lively has yielded at least one home run in eight of his 13 starts in 2023, including one in each of his last three outings. It's certainly not going to be a surprise if the Cubs push a good amount of runs across the plate as well.

Brewers at Nationals, 7:05 p.m.| Watch live: MLB.tv

• The Pick: Josiah Gray Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-135)
• Key trend: Gray has registered at least five strikeouts in six of his last 10 starts.

The Brewers are one of the more free-swinging teams in all of baseball this season. That makes Nationals starter Josiah Gray's strikeouts prop to be very attractive in this spot. Gray isn't the type of starting pitcher that normally relies on strikeouts to get himself through a ball game; however, the Brewers rank ninth in strikeouts on the year, so an increase is certainly within the realm of possibilities.

Gray has been getting more swings-and-misses lately as he's recorded at least five strikeouts in six of his last 10 outings. The young right-hander has managed to rack up at least six punch-outs in five of those contests. It's a small number to clear, and the Brewers' free-swinging nature should help get us there.