New York at Tampa Bay

The good news for the Yankees is that CC Sabathia came to spring training about 30 pounds lighter. He seemed to fade down the stretch last year, and he addressed that with his conditioning. Sabathia has been everything the Yankees had hoped he'd be, winning 59 games in his first three years in pinstripes. James Shields is certainly capable of going toe-to-toe with Sabathia, but the lineups here are vastly different. The Rays scored 2 runs or less in 12 of Shield's starts last year and that will likely be the issue again this season. The Yankees’ lineup is long and deep, and the Yankees’ back end of the pen is better. The Yanks are 44-15 behind Sabathia when posted as a favorite, and the Yanks have gotten to Shield's, posting a 14-6 mark in his 20 starts against them. Play on the Yankees.