The Rangers and Athletics play the second game of their three-game set tonight. Texas won the first game 5-2.
The Rangers are -137 favorites, while the Athletics are +113 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 10 runs.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Saturday’s Rangers vs. Athletics matchup.
Rangers vs. Athletics prediction
The Rangers are 3.5 games out of a the final Wild Card spot, so it’s essential that they win as much as they can moving forward. They’ve turned it up a notch lately, winning six of their last seven games to rise above .500.
This series against the Athletics is critical since Texas should take advantage of the easy matchup. The Athletics are 10 games under .500 and well out of the playoff race. Furthermore, the Rangers have difficult series after the Athletics.
Texas will play the Diamondbacks, Astros, Brewers, Mets and Astros again following this series. It almost makes tonight’s game a must-win.
Merrill Kelly will start for the Rangers. He has a 3.20 ERA across 157.2 innings between the Diamondbacks and Rangers this season. He’s been solid since arriving in Texas, owning a 3.10 ERA in five starts. Kelly is capable of pitching six or seven innings, but he’s also given up at least two earned runs in four of his five outings with the Rangers.
The Athletics can get hot on offense at times, but they won’t have star rookie Nick Kurtz in the lineup as he deals with an oblique injury. His absence is major, and it likely will bring some ease to Kelly on the mound.
The Athletics are starting Mason Barnett tonight. It’s his MLB debut, so there’s some uncertainty. Some pitchers struggle against a more talented lineup, while others benefit from not being scouted as heavily.
Barnett hasn’t been great in the minors this year, posting a 6.13 ERA through 119 innings in Triple-A.
Rangers vs. Athletics pick, best bet
Some pitchers have had excellent debuts, but this likely won’t be one of them. Barnett struggled in Triple-A, which leads me to believe that he won’t do well in his first outing in the majors.
Rangers ML is my top bet at -137, but it can be a bit expensive for some bettors. For those looking for more juice, Rangers ML and under 10 runs is the parlay of the game. It yields +266 odds.