The Texas Rangers take on the Oakland Athletics. Check out our MLB odds series for our Rangers Athletics prediction and pick.

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Jon Gray takes the bump for the Rangers, while Cole Irvin goes to the mound for the Athletics.

Jon Gray has a 5.14 ERA. He has allowed at least three runs in four of his six starts this season. However, he has allowed two runs or fewer in two of his last three appearances. He has given up as many hits (27) as the number of strikeouts he has recorded. He has allowed only two home runs, and in the Oakland Coliseum, there's a good chance he will continue to avoid giving up the big bomb in a year when homers are down across Major League Baseball. Texas is almost at the .500 mark, and that is mostly the product of a pitching staff which — unlike past Ranger staffs — has not been blown out of the water. If Gray continues his recent run of form, the Rangers not only have a great chance to win this game, but to challenge for the American League wild card.

Cole Irvin has a 3.21 ERA. He has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last five starts. He has pitched between five and 6 1/3 innings in all of his starts. He has given up 33 hits in 33 2/3 innings pitched. He shut out the Rangers in five innings on April 24. Irvin doesn't make big headlines, but he has quietly given Oakland a pitcher who will frequently eat six innings and reduce strain on the bullpen. He is one player who gives the A's a chance, and therefore deserves to be respected by anyone who makes a Rangers Athletics prediction based on the current MLB odds.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rangers-Athletics MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Rangers-Athletics Odds

Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+136)

Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-164)

Over: 7 (-120)

Under: 7 (-102)

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Why The Rangers Could Cover the Spread

They have received solid pitching and have been able to survive in a deep and difficult American League West in spite of the fact that they haven't gotten the breakout hitting performances they have been hoping for. Thursday's win in Oakland was a perfect example. The Rangers could not break through against Frankie Montas and were held to just one run through eight innings. Ordinarily, Texas would lose that game, but because Martin Perez is arguably the best pitcher in the American League right now, the Rangers were able to hang in the game, remain tied at 1-1, and then win with a three-run ninth inning. The Rangers have good pitching and the A's don't hit very well. Don't overthink a Rangers Athletics pick based on the Rangers Athletics odds.

Why The Athletics Could Cover the Spread

After losing on Thursday, the A's are going to be motivated to hit back at the Rangers on Friday. With Cole Irvin on the mound, the A's have the slightly better pitcher in this matchup. Gray's ERA is higher than his actual level of performance would suggest, so this is not a heavily lopsided pitching confrontation. Nevertheless, Irvin is still better than Gray. This is not a 50-50 game; the A's do have the better pitcher, albeit by a slight margin. As the underdog, taking the A's plus one and a half runs seems reasonable.

Final Rangers-Athletics Prediction & Pick

Frankly, you should stay away from this game, given that neither side has reliable hitters. The A's are not as good as the Rangers, but they are in a bounce-back spot. It's a very tricky game to pick. If you have to make a pick, though, the over looks like a good play. The number is low, and after the two offenses struggled on Thursday, they're probably going to be better on Friday.

Final Rangers-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Over 7