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It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rays-Rangers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Rays-Rangers.
The Texas Rangers are getting the caliber of pitching they need in order to return to the World Series. The Rangers won it all in 2023 but then regressed last season. It's true that their 2024 problems were connected primarily to their hitting, but when a team with big dreams shows that its pitching staff is better and deeper than the year before, that will get everyone's attention.
The Rangers are off to a good start this season. They have won each of the first two series they have played. The pitching is the reason. The Rangers won 1-0 games on consecutive days in Cincinnati versus the Reds. Nathan Eovaldi pitching a complete game is not a surprise. Eovaldi is a bulldog who loves taking the ball and dominating. He has done that before. The real revelation — and a source of increased upside for Texas — is Jack Leiter. He pitched five shutout innings and looked really good. He shows signs of being significantly better than he was in 2024. If that is the version of Leiter the Rangers will get throughout 2025, this team will definitely make the playoffs.
Rays-Rangers Projected Starters
Zack Littell vs Tyler Mahle
Zack Littell (0-1) pitched really well in his season debut against the Colorado Rockies. He didn't get a good result — he took the loss — but he did his job. He simply didn't get any run support. The Rays will be thrilled if Littell can go six innings and give up one run on a consistent basis. Over the course of the full season, that level of performance will win more than it loses.
Last Start: March 29 vs Colorado Rockies — 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 7 K
Tyler Mahle (0-0) had an abbreviated appearance against the Red Sox. The Rangers now need him to go five innings and limit damage versus the Rays. Mahle, who has been injured most of the past three years and made only three starts for Texas in 2024, could give Texas a higher ceiling over the course of the 2025 season. The sooner he can establish a high standard, the better.
Last Start: March 29 vs Boston Red Sox — 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 4 BB, 3 K
Here are the Rays-Rangers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Rangers Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: +108
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+155)
Moneyline: -126
Over: 8.5 (-115)
Article Continues Below
Under: 8.5 (-105)
How to Watch Rays vs Rangers
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET/5:05 p.m. PT
TV: Apple TV
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win
Texas starter Tyler Mahle has talent, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy or provide innings for the Rangers since he was acquired by the team. Until Mahle returns to being regularly healthy and regularly able to give this starting rotation length, it is appropriate to be skeptical of him. It's not a verdict on his talent; the problem with Mahle has been a lack of durability and availability. The Rays didn't hit the ball really well at home in their first several games of the season. Maybe going on the road will improve their hitting.
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers have been getting great pitching. If their hitting returns to being great, the way it was in 2023, this team should be considered the favorite to win the American League. If Texas can score five runs in a game, the pitching has been good enough early in the 2025 season to make that level of output stand up and become enough to win and cover.
Final Rays-Rangers Prediction & Pick
We lean to the Rangers, but we have no strong recommendation in this game. Maybe wait a few innings to see if Tyler Mahle will be able to give the Rangers the length they need from their starting pitcher.
Final Rays-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Rangers -1.5
