The Texas Rangers will play the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The game gets underway 1:10 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Southwest will showcase this AL matchup.
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays Odds
Vegas has listed Texas (+110) as the underdog to Tampa Bay (-120). The total is sitting at 7.5 runs and gamblers can take the over for -125 and the under for +105. Bettors can also wager on the game’s spread with the runline odds sitting at -190 for the Rangers +1.5 runs and +165 for the Rays -1.5.
The Rangers are 7-12 SU and are 7-11 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 1.6 units for bettors taking the moneyline in the season’s early going and 7.4 units ATS. Texas is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven. The Rays, on the other hand, are 4-13 SU and 8-8 ATS. The team’s lost 8.4 units for moneyline bettors and 0.8 units ATS. Tampa Bay has covered the spread just twice over its last seven games and the over has hit in five of those seven.
Rays games have an over/under record of 10-6 so far in 2018. Texas has an over/under record of 8-9-1.
Cole Hamels will get the nod for the visiting Rangers. The left-handed Hamels is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Rays this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Rays will send righty Jake Faria (0-1, 8.18 ERA) to the mound. Faria has nine strikeouts and 10 walks to his credit, as well as a WHIP of 1.91. Faria did not record a start against the Rangers in 2017.
Texas’ pitching staff allowed 5.1 runs per game and its starters own a 5.31 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 8.38 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 3.36, along with a K/9 of 8.34.
The Rangers offense has slashed .232/.303/.372 on its way to 3.5 runs scored per game in 2018, including 3.7 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 4.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (3-2 SU).
Shortstop Elvis Andrus and right fielder Nomar Mazara have led Texas’ offense. Andrus is slashing .327/.426/.500 with 17 hits, five RBIs and seven runs scored, while Mazara (.318/.357/.424) is up to 21 hits, two homers, six RBIs and eight runs scored.
Mazara didn’t do especially well on the road last season. Over 301 plate appearances, he maintained a slash line of .206/.276/.360 (his overall season line was .253/.323/.422).
In the home-team dugout, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has given up 5.4 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starters have an ERA of 5.13, a WHIP of 1.37 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.5. The bullpen has a 4.79 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 7.9 K/9.
The Tampa Bay hitters are putting up 3.4 runs per contest, including 4.1 per game over its last 10 games and 3.8 per game over their last five. The team has hit .256/.328/.375 over its last five contests and is 1-4 SU during that span.
Left fielder Mallex Smith and second baseman Daniel Robertson have led the Rays’ offense this year. Smith is hitting .383/.431/.511 with 18 hits, three RBIs and six runs scored, while Robertson’s line is .250/.475/.393 with seven hits, two RBIs and eight runs.
The Rangers have gained 0.8 units and are 6-7 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in five of those games, compared to seven that’ve gone under against right-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Rays have lost 1.4 units and are 5-1 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s hit in four of those games, compared to two that went under the total.
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Rays, ATS Winner – Rangers, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Trends
The Rangers have won three of their last four games SU.
Texas fielders have committed eight errors over their last five games, compared to four errors for Tampa Bay over its last five.
The Rangers have hit 13 home runs in their last 10 games, including 10 over their last five.
+++++
