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An intriguing matchup between a pair of American League foes will square off on the diamond as the Cleveland Guardians take on the Texas Rangers in the Lone Star State. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Guardians-Rangers prediction and pick will be revealed.
For the Guardians, it has been Cleveland that boasts one of the top records in all of AL. Despite their gritty 25-16 record, the Guardians are up only a half-game in the AL Central standings ahead of the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins. As of late, Cleveland went down in defeat to the Chicago White Sox three straight times before pulling out a victory on Mother's Day. Projected to get the start for Cleveland will be righty Ben Lively who is 1-2 with a 2.63 ERA.
Although the Rangers' starting pitcher for this one is currently undecided, the Rangers are wanting to rid themselves of some embarrassing losses regardless. Bafflingly enough, Texas made the Colorado Rockies look like perennial contenders and were swept in surprising fashion at Coors Field. Despite their recent play not being a good look for the defending world champions, the Rangers will have a great opportunity to avenge themselves in this high-profile matchup. With a record of 22-20, the Rangers are barely floating above the .500 mark but only sit a half-game behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-Rangers Odds
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: +100
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-184)
Moneyline: -118
Over: 9 (-122)
Under: 9 (+100)
How to Watch Guardians vs. Rangers
Time: 8:05 ET/5:05 PT
TV: MLB.TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
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Consider the Guardians' recent blip versus the White Sox, there is no doubt that the Guardians are going to come out hungry and motivated for this pivotal showdown against the Rangers.
For starters, the best shot that Cleveland has at covering the spread and sticking it to Texas will be in the form of a balanced effort from the offense and the pitching arms. Believe it or not, but the Guardians are one of the few teams in all of baseball that boast a top-ten offense and pitching staff. Because of this rare balance, Cleveland may find themselves with a leg up in the competition.
At the end of the day, the absence of MLB average leader Steven Kwan will continue to be a tough pill to swallow as he remains on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain, so it may be up to names like outfielder Josh Naylor and third-baseman Jose Ramirez to pick up the pace. As it stands, Naylor leads the club in home runs while Ramirez is paving the way in RBIs.
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
On the other side of things, the Rangers may be experiencing their worst few-game stretch of the season. While many expected that the path to defending their World Series title would not be an easy task, jumping out to a measly 22-20 record was not on many's bingo cards to begin the season.
Without a doubt, the main point of emphasis that Texas needs to take care of has to come with an improvement on the pitching side of things. No one is sure who will take the baseball from the mound to start this game, but stringing together some scoreless innings will be vital for this club's chance to get back on track now and move forward. Sloppily, Texas has surrendered a total of 22 runs during the span of their active four-game losing streak. Simply put, this cannot continue to be the case. At some point, one would think that Texas will snap out of their funk and showcase their championship DNA.
Even if the arms aren't up for the task, keep your eyes peeled on this offense to come alive in a big way. In fact, the Rangers remain one of the more prolific hitting squads in the majors. Statistically speaking, Texas has scored the third-most runs and owns the fifth-best batting average in the league. Until proven otherwise, this offense is extremely dependable and can inflict damage in the blink of an eye.
Final Guardians-Rangers Prediction & Pick
The Guardians underwent a losing streak not too long ago, but it appears they have put that in the rearview mirror. Until the Rangers move past their own slumping ways, it is probably smart to give the edge to Cleveland in this one.
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Final Guardians-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Guardians -1.5 (+152)
