Subscribe
Follow Us
It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers-Rangers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Dodgers-Rangers.
The Texas Rangers come into this Saturday game against the Los Angeles Dodgers having seen both sides of the spectrum from the two Los Angeles MLB teams. The Rangers swept the LA Angels in a three-game series. Texas was able to score early and gain advantages in those contests versus the Halos. Everyone expected the Rangers to be much better than the Angels, and that early-season series confirmed the conventional wisdom. The teams existed in two different weight classes. It felt like men against boys, in accordance with preseason expectations.
Then the Rangers ran into the other Los Angeles MLB team on Friday night. The Rangers got a great starting pitching performance from Jacob deGrom, who performed like an ace. DeGrom held the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers to just one run in seven innings. Against 98 percent of MLB teams, that would certainly be enough to win. Against the Dodgers, it wasn't. The National League LA team shut out the Rangers and added two runs in the top of the ninth for a 3-0 victory. The Rangers are the 2023 World Series champions, the Dodgers the 2024 champs. In a battle of the last two Major League Baseball title-holders, the Dodgers prevailed thanks to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is one of the very best pitchers in baseball. Now we get to see if the Rangers can fight back in the second game of this series.
Dodgers-Rangers Projected Starters
Roki Sasaki vs Nathan Eovaldi
Roki Sasaki (0-1) finally completed five innings in a start. He hadn't done that before last Saturday versus the Cubs. It's a forward step for Sasaki, who continues to allow a lot of baserunners and continues to pitch out of trouble, avoiding big innings. The young pitcher is not going to figure out everything all at once, but the Dodgers will want him to pitch with fewer men on base so that he can begin to feel even more in command of his surroundings.
Last Start: April 12 vs Chicago Cubs — 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 K
Nathan Eovaldi (1-2) pitched a Maddux earlier this year, referring to a complete game with under 100 pitches thrown. He did that against the Reds. In his other starts, Eovaldi hasn't been nearly as sharp, and that includes his most recent start this past Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, a competitor for the Rangers in the American League West. Lineups don't get more challenging than the Dodgers. Eovaldi needs to find a way to deliver a quality start and go deep into this game. Sasaki is not likely to go more than five, so if Eovaldi can go at least six and pitch well, the Dodgers might have to go to their bullpen sooner than Texas, and the Rangers might be able to create preferred matchups in the eighth and ninth innings if the game is close.
Last Start: April 13 at Seattle Mariners — 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K
Here are the Dodgers-Rangers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Rangers Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -106
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-178)
Moneyline: -110
Over: 8.5 (+100)
Under: 8.5 (-122)
How to Watch Dodgers vs Rangers
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT
TV: Fox
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Dodgers didn't even hit well on Friday and still won. Their pitching depth is so good. Their lineup, having been contained on Friday, is likely to be better on Saturday. If the Dodgers score at least four runs, they will probably win. Sasaki gives up baserunners but not a large amount of runs. The bullpen can do the rest.
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
Nate Eovaldi is a better pitcher than Roki Sasaki. The pitching matchup favors Texas, and with the Rangers getting shut out on Friday, they should be a lot better in this game. This is a really good bounce-back spot for Texas.
Final Dodgers-Rangers Prediction & Pick
We do indeed like this as a bounce-back game for the Rangers. They were dominated by Yamamoto. Sasaki is nowhere near as good as Yamamoto. Eovaldi should pitch a solid game. Take Texas.
Final Dodgers-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Rangers moneyline
