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We're set for another MLB Betting prediction and pick as we're set to bring you coverage of this next American League matchup. The Texas Rangers will take on the Cleveland Guardians for the second meeting of their current three-game series. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rangers-Guardians prediction and pick.
Rangers-Guardians Projected Starters
Jon Gray (RHP) vs. Ben Lively
Jon Gray (5-4) with a 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 24 K, 96.0 IP
Last Start: 8/20 vs. PIT (L) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 K
2024 Road Splits: (1-2) with a 4.19 ERA, .268 OBA, 35 K, 38.2 IP
Ben Lively (10-8) with a 3.68 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 40 K, 120.0 IP
Last Start: 8/18 @ MIL (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 K
2024 Home Splits: (6-2) with a 3.42 ERA, .233 OBA, 42 K, 55.1 IP
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Guardians Odds
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: +110
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+168)
Moneyline: -130
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
How to Watch Rangers vs. Guardians
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET/ 4:10 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes,
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Texas Rangers are currently third in the AL West and sit 10.5 games back of the leading Houston Astros. They've gone just 4-6 over their last 10 games, but they've managed to win three of their last four contests heading into this series against Cleveland. This will be their only other season meeting with the Guardians as they're down 1-2 in the series. Still, the Rangers own the most recent meeting and they come into this game hitting well from the plate. Their last meeting against Cleveland was also a shutout effort from their pitching staff, so they're hoping to replicate that same success here.
The Rangers will send Jon Gray to the mound in this one making his eighteenth start of the season. He's been decent on the road, but will be working to bring his 4.19 ERA down through this contest. He also didn't manage to make it very deep into his last start, so this appearance will be about seeing extra work deeper into the ballgame and trying to get pitcher-friendly counts early into this game. His 1.26 WHIP is manageable for now, but he'd like to see that number dip if he's going to be anchoring this injury-ridden pitching staff.
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cleveland Guardians are currently leading the AL Central by two games and continue to play for the best record in the American League. They've hit a bit of a rough patch ahead of this series, winning just one of their last six games. They've only managed to scratch across six runs over their last five games and got shutout twice during that stretch. While they're trying to hold onto their lead in the tight division, recent losing streaks like this have put them in danger of relinquishing momentum to their rivals. Things won't get much easier as a hot Rangers team comes to town.
Ben Lively will see the start in this one, taking an impressive 6-2 record at home into his twenty-third start. He's only given up five runs over his last two starts and is usually good to extend his pitching into deeper innings. He prefers to throw to right-handers and teams don't tend to tee-off on him very often. His confidence is through the roof at home and you can expect him to have another strong showing here.
Final Rangers-Guardians Prediction & Pick
With Game 1 of this series underway, it looks as though the Guardians will be in a bounce-back spot after dropping the first meeting. Cleveland leads the season series 2-1, but it looks as though the Rangers will be in a decent spot to capitalize on their current win streak and steal some wins on the road. Conversely, these games mean something to the Guardians as they try to fend off Minnesota and Kansas City in the standings.
The Rangers have been seeing a ton of success from the plate over the last five games and they've been jumping on teams early, forcing them to play from behind. The Guardians have struggled to complete comebacks as of recently, so the first few innings of this game will be crucial.
We have to give the slight pitching edge to Cleveland here with the success Ben Lively has seen at home this year. He starts hot and if he's finding his strikeout pitches early, he can extend this start and find the decision once again. However, he'll need run support in the effort if the Rangers are expected to continue scoring the way they have.
For our final prediction, we'll roll with the Cleveland Guardians to find this win at home. It has to be desperation time and they have to begin playing with a sense of urgency to lock up the division. Ultimately, they get it done in this one.
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Final Rangers-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Guardians ML (-130)
