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The Oakland Coliseum has been a beautiful home to baseball for many years, but its time as a major league ballpark is drawing to a close. The Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics are playing the Coliseum's final series this week, and we'll be looking at the middle game on Wednesday before the stadium's swansong on Thursday. Neither of these teams will make a trip to the playoffs, as it was a disappointing title defense for the Rangers. The Rangers' record on the road is one of the reasons, as they are just 30-45 away from Globe Life Field. The Rangers have won six of their last ten games against the Athletics, but have lost six of their past nine overall. The Athletics have also lost six of their previous eight. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rangers-Athletics prediction and pick.
Rangers-Athletics Projected Starters
Cody Bradford vs. Brady Basso
Cody Bradford is 6-3 with a 3.59 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP.
Bradford's last start was at home against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rangers won the game 2-0, and Bradford pitched 7 innings with 6 strikeouts. He allowed 5 hits, 0 walks, and 0 earned runs.
Bradford is 1-2 on the road with an 8.10 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.
Brady Basso is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.
Basso's last start was on the road against the Chicago Cubs, winning 5-3. He pitched 4 2/3 innings with 5 strikeouts, allowing 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 earned runs.
Basso is 0-0 at home, with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP. His only start at home was a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. He pitched 6 innings with 6 strikeouts, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and 0 earned runs.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Athletics Odds
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -120
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-165)
Moneyline: +100
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
How to Watch Rangers vs. Athletics
Time: 9:40 PM ET/6:40 PM PT
TV: MLB Network, NBC Bay Area, ARID
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The bullpens could come into play with these teams, as neither pitcher has gone deep into games consistently. The Rangers and Athletics have identical averages and on-base percentages over their last ten games, but the Rangers are averaging one run/nine more.
The Rangers also have an advantage in the bullpen. Texas' bullpen has been good all season, but they have a 4.89 ERA over their last three games. Meanwhile, the Athletics have been worse, owning a 5.53 ERA over the same span.
Why The Athletics Will Cover The Spread/Win
These offenses haven't hit the ball well over their last ten games. It gets even worse when you look at their splits against left-handed pitching, which they'll both face in this game. The Athletics are better, batting .232 with a .288 on-base percentage and 2.9 runs/nine. These numbers are terrible, but they are averaging over a run more per nine than the Rangers, which is difficult to comprehend.
Final Rangers-Athletics Prediction & Pick
Cody Bradford has been performing well over his last five starts except for an eight-run blowup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brady Basso has also been good, recording two scoreless outings in his first two starts before allowing three earned runs last time out. The lack of offense between these two teams over the past ten games is staggering, and with the pitching matchup, this game could be a good play for the under. The total is lower than we would've liked, but neither of these offenses inspires much confidence.
Final Rangers-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Under 7.5 (-110)
