The Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers clash Friday in game 1 of an MLB series at Globe Life Field. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
Oakland Athletics Betting Preview
The Athletics look for a win after winning 5 of their last 8 games. The Athletics have the worst record in baseball at 43-97. The Athletics pitching staff is 29th in ERA (5.61), 30th in WHIP (1.53) and 30th in quality starts (27). The Athletics offense is 30th in runs per game (3.68), 30th in batting average (.225) and 22nd in homers (147). Esteury Ruiz leads the Athletics with 100 hits and 40 RBI, while Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers have combined for 176 hits and 106 RBI. Paul Blackburn gets the ball, and he is 4-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 90 strikeouts this season. Blackburn is 0-3 with a 13.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his career against the Rangers.
Oakland Athletics Team Facts
- The Athletics have lost each of their last seven road games against AL West opponents following a win.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line 10 of their last 11 night games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Athletics have led after 7 innings in four of their last five games as underdogs against AL West opponents.
- The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Athletics' last four games.
- The Athletics have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last four games at Globe Life Field.
Texas Rangers Betting Preview
The Rangers need a win after losing 6 of their last 7 games. The Rangers are 0.5 games out of the AL wild card race. The Rangers pitching staff is 17th in ERA (4.31), 11th in WHIP (1.27) and 10th in quality starts (59). The Rangers' offense is 3rd in runs per game (5.48), 2nd in batting average (.266) and 8th in homers (196). Marcus Semien leads the Rangers with 160 hits and 85 RBI, while Nathaniel Lowe and Corey Seager have combined for 280 hits and 154 RBI. Jordan Montgomery gets the ball, and he is 8-10 with a 3.46 ERA and 138 strikeouts this season. Montgomery is 0-1 with a 3.64 ERA and 25 strikeouts in his career against the Athletics.
Texas Rangers Team Facts
- The Rangers have lost nine of their last 10 games as home favorites.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 10 games.
- The Rangers have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last six home night games.
- The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Rangers' last five games.
- The Rangers have lost the first inning in three of their last four games as favorites against AL West opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Texas Rangers ranks 2nd in the league for hits this season (1287).
- The Texas Rangers ranks 2nd in the league for doubles this season (292).
- The Oakland Athletics ranks 30th in the league for runs scored this season (515).
- The Oakland Athletics ranks 30th in the league for hits this season (1033).
Randy’s Pick
The Rangers should be obvious favorites at home, as they're fighting for a playoff spot and going up against the worst team in baseball. However, the A's have quietly won 5 of their last 8 games and Paul Blackburn hasn't been terrible with a 3.81 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 89.2 innings. The Rangers have not only lost 6 of their last 7 games, but they've won just 4 games since August 16. The Rangers are honestly lucky they're not further out of the playoff race than they are. We're getting over 2 times our money to fade the slumping Rangers. I'll take it.
