The Oakland Athletics (4-8) travel to face off against the Texas Rangers (7-5) on Thursday, April 11th. This game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington and televised on BSSW. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Athletics. First pitch is set for 2:35 ET.
Athletics vs Rangers
The Rangers and Athletics played the previous game of this series, with the Rangers picking up a 6-2 win at home. Texas was the favorite heading into the game at -195 on the money line. The lone home run for either side came from Zack Gelof of the Athletics.
Despite being outhit 12-9, the Rangers took advantage of their eight singles and four doubles to score six runs. Adolis Garcia didn’t have a home run but did go 3/3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Both Jonah Heim and Marcus Semien also drove in two runs.
Ross Stripling got the start for the Athletics and took the loss, while Cody Bradford went 6 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a run for Texas. Stripling gave up six earned runs on 11 hits, while Bradford struck out seven Oakland hitters.
After dropping the first game of the series, the Athletics bounced back to win the second game against the Rangers. They are currently 4-8 on the season and are in 4th place in the AL West, three games behind the Rangers for the division lead. Oakland has been much better on the road this season, going 3-2 compared to just 1-6 at home.
Overall, the Athletics have been an underdog in every game this season, going 4-8 in those contests. They have also struggled in night games, going just 1-4.
Despite an average run margin of -1.9 runs per game, the Athletics have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 7-5 overall. They have been particularly strong on the road, where they are 4-1 against the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.0, while their average run margin in losing games is -4.4.
The Oakland Athletics have seen their last two games go under the total, and their games have averaged 8 runs per game this season. The over/under record for the A’s this season is 6-5, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. Today’s over/under line is set at 9.5 runs, and the A’s have yet to play a game this season with an over/under line set that high. Their games have gone under the total in 100% of their games this season when the line has been set at 9.5 runs.
JP Sears Gets The Start For The Athletics
JP Sears is on the mound for the Athletics today, as he is coming off a no-decision in his first start of the season. Sears went 5 2/3 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and struck out 6. He did give up a home run in that outing. In his first start, he took a loss against the Guardians, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up 5 runs.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
For the Athletics, we like Brent Rooker to have a big game at the plate. He has the highest home run projection on the team and the 5th highest in the league today. Zack Gelof has the highest hits projection on the team and the 9th best home run projection in the league. J.D. Davis has the 2nd highest hits projection on the team and his home run projection is 12th best in the league today. Shea Langeliers has the 2nd highest home run projection on the team and the 9th best in the league.
After dropping the first game of their series against the Athletics, the Rangers bounced back with a win yesterday. Overall, Texas has a 7-5 record, which has them in first place in the AL West. They have been solid at home, going 5-4, and have gone 2-1 on the road.
So far, the Rangers have gone 3-4 as the favorite and 4-1 as the underdog. In division games, they are 3-3, and they are currently 1.0 game ahead of the Angels for first place in the AL West.
When the Texas Rangers are the underdog, they have been a good bet against the run line, going 4-1. They are 6-6 overall against the run line, but just 2-5 when they are the favorite.
The Texas Rangers have seen their games go over the over/under line in five of their 12 games this season. Their games have averaged 9.4 runs per game, and the over/under line for today’s game is set at 9.5 runs. The under has hit in two straight games for the Rangers, and their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs per game this season.
Jon Gray Gets The Start For The Rangers
Jon Gray is getting the start for the Rangers at home against the Athletics. This will be his 3rd start of the season, and he has yet to pick up a win. In his first start against the Cubs, he went 3 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits. He followed that up with a 3 2/3 inning outing against the Astros, where he gave up 2 runs on 5 hits.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
If you’re looking at the Rangers’ offensive player projections today, Corey Seager is our top pick in terms of total hits, as his projection is 5th best in the league. He’s also got the 2nd best odds to hit a home run on the team and 2nd best in the league. Adolis García is our top projected home run hitter for the Rangers and in the entire league today. Marcus Semien is 2nd on the team in terms of total hits and 7th in the league.
Athletics vs Rangers Prediction
Our prediction for this Rangers vs. Athletics matchup is to take the over, with the line sitting at 9.5 runs. We have the Rangers picking up a 6-5 win, meaning there is a bit of wiggle room on the over/under line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Jon Gray is projected to finish with six strikeouts compared to JP Sears with five. Gray is also projected to finish with more earned runs than Sears, but we have Gray finishing with a better strikeout total.
Looking at the offenses, the Rangers are projected to finish with nine hits compared to the Athletics with eight. However, the Athletics are actually projected to finish with more team strikeouts, with the Athletics finishing with 11 compared to the Rangers with eight.
If you’re looking for a money line pick, the Rangers are the way to go, but we actually have them as a better pick to finish with more runs than the Athletics.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:April 11, 2024 Athletics, Rangers