If you’d have asked me about this series three months ago, I would have guessed that it would have major playoff implications in the American League. At least in a Wild Card capacity. However, as we sit here on June 24, it would seem that both the Rangers and the Orioles are the lower-class of the AL. Baltimore is 10 games below .500 and dead-last in the always difficult AL East, while Texas is just 5-5 in its last 10 contests despite some very soft competition.
Can either one of these squads start to get its season turned around on Tuesday? Let’s preview this MLB matchup with the help of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rangers vs. Orioles prediction, preview
We have to start this preview by talking about Charlie Morton. It honestly looked like the veteran RHP was in danger of being DFA’d earlier in the season, but Morton has turned things around in a big way. After being relegated to the bullpen in late April, the 41-year-old began to shake off the cobwebs and start having some positive appearances. In fact, since May 10, Morton is in possession of a 2.29 ERA and a 2.31 FIP across 35.1 innings of work. It’s also a span of time where Morton has registered a jaw-dropping 31.3% strikeout rate. Needless to say, Morton is once again a staple of the Orioles’ rotation, as his last five outings have all been starts.
That said, tonight’s matchup with the Rangers isn’t going to be a cakewalk for Morton — at least not as much as it would’ve been four weeks ago. Across the past 14 days, Texas ranks 13th in MLB with a very respectable 110 wRC+ as a team. This is a sharp contrast from the entire month of May, when the Rangers sported an AL-low 73 wRC+. So what’s changed? In the simplest terms, Texas just got healthy, as Corey Seager and Evan Carter are back off the IL and doing damage. The Rangers have also benefitted from the resurgence of both Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia, who each looked lost in the early stages of 2025. Garcia, in particular, is slashing .308/.370/.492 with a 142 wRC+ so far in June.
Unfortunately for Texas, the squad’s sterling rotation seems to be falling apart just as the lineup is finally coming together. Due mostly to injuries to Nathan Eovaldi and Tyler Mahle, Jacob Latz will make his second start of the season this evening in Baltimore. Latz’s first start did go pretty well last week, as he held the Royals to a single run across 5.2 innings. Latz threw 82 pitches that day, too, so it’s likely he’s not under any sort of pitch limit on Tuesday. Latz is also left-handed, which is a massive deal in this matchup. Many of the Orioles’ best bats are LHBs and that’s translated into Baltimore possessing a paltry 75 wRC+ against southpaws in 2025. The club’s .088 ISO within the split is the lowest-mark in MLB.
Rangers vs. Orioles pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 9.5 (-114)
This total is wild given how much the Orioles have struggled with LHPs in 2025. It also doesn’t seem to account for how good Morton’s looked in recent starts.
Strong Lean: Charlie Morton Over 15.5 Outs Recorded (+100)
Morton has 2.29 ERA since May 10. He’s also exceeded this prop in three of his last five starts.
