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The Oakland Athletics host the Texas Rangers for an AL West battle! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rangers-Athletics prediction and pick.
The Rangers are coming off of a dominant win over the Miami Marlins to open the second half of the 2022 season. It was just one game, probably a rescheduled game from earlier in the season. However, the Marlins must have been hungover as they scored zero runs off of just seven hits. Texas right-hander Jon Gray pitched six innings and only allowed four hits. The rest of the month is filled with divisional matchups so it's important for them to gain ground at (42-49).
Oakland also played yesterday but played in a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers and A's split the DH as the Tone Tigers won Game 1 and the A's Game 2. Prior to the break, Oakland upset the Houston Astros by winning two of three games. They are dead last in the division, however, at (33-62) on the year. The long season toll isn't going to get any easier for the A's in 2022.
Here are the Rangers-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Athletics Odds
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+146)
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 7.5 (-102)
Under: 7.5 (-120)
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Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers are sending out right-hander Spencer Howard. It's been a small sample size for the four-year pitcher who is in his second year with the Rangers after coming from the Philadelphia Phillies. He is (1-1) with a 6.97 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched. He's allowed 27 hits and 17 runs this year already which is not good. Howard will need to find a way to turn it around as his leash could be very short in the near future.
The offense is coming off of a huge game where their stars all shined. Corey Seager got the day off as they let him recover from the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game. Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia both drove in runs to win the game by the score of 8-0. Outfielder Leody Taveras is hot right now as he has a hit in his last nine games with 16 combined. His average has skyrocketed to .344 with an OPS of .924. He has three home runs and 17 RBIs in just 31 games this season. With Seager likely back in the lineup, the Rangers are a good bet to make for this matchup.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
The A's are starting left-hander Cole Irvin against the Rangers. Irvin has been surprisingly good for the Athletics this season. He's been their second-best starter behind All-Star Paul Blackburn, but the record shows otherwise. Irvin is (4-7) with a 3.21 ERA in 95.1 innings this season. He's in the top 30 in both ERA and WHIP (1.10) in all of the majors. The A's rotation isn't as bad as many assume, despite the team having a horrible record. Irvin pitches even better at home with a 1.68 ERA.
Oakland will need Irvin to be on his game for them to have a chance. The Oakland lineup isn't good at all but will look for former Rangers SS Elvis Andrus to help light a spark for the lineup. There really isn't anyone else that is consistent besides catcher Sean Murphy and first baseman Seth Brown. The good news is that the A's are facing a struggling pitcher. They will need to try and force him out of the game early if they want a chance to cover this spread.
Final Rangers-Athletics Prediction & Pick
Irvin does pitch well at home but I think the Rangers' offense continues to stay hot. Take Texas to cover this spread on the road against the last-place Athletics.
Final Rangers-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Rangers -1.5 (+146)
