The New York Yankees (79-58) and Texas Rangers (65-72) open a three-game series on Monday night at Globe Life Field. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on YES and Bally Sports Southwest.
The Yankees look to regroup after a disappointing week in which they lost four of six to the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals — their lead atop the AL East is down to just a half-game over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers, meanwhile, are way out of the playoff picture after their World Series run a year ago — they're 10 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and 9 1/2 games out of the third AL wild-card spot.
Below, I preview the final game of the MLB Labor Day schedule and make a Yankees vs Rangers prediction. You can also find a head-to-head breakdown of probable starters Gerrit Cole and Jack Leiter.
Yankees-Rangers Prediction
- Yankees-Rangers picks: Under 8.5 | Play to +100
My Yankees-Rangers best bet is for the game to go Under 8.5 runs. The best line is available at Bet365, as well as other at sportsbooks. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers Odds
| Yankees Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-178 | 8.5 -120o / +100u | -1.5 -120 |
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+150 | 8.5 -120o / +100u | +1.5 +100 |
- Yankees-Rangers Moneyline: Yankees -178 | Rangers +150
- Yankees-Rangers Over/Under: 8.5 total runs (-120o / +100u)
- Yankees-Rangers Run Line: Yankees -1.5 (-120) | Rangers +1.5 (+100)
Probable Starting Pitchers for Yankees at Rangers
| RHP Gerrit Cole (NYY) | Stat | RHP Jack Leiter (TEX) |
|---|---|---|
| 5-3 | W-L | 0-1 |
| 0.7 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | -0.2 |
| 3.86/4.26 | ERA /xERA | 12.85/7.65 |
| 4.44/4.03 | FIP / xFIP | 6.70/6.29 |
| 1.33 | WHIP | 2.40 |
| 17.4% | K-BB% | 3.9% |
| 38.6% | GB% | 37% |
| 112 | Stuff+ | 114 |
| 100 | Location+ | 97 |
Nick Martin’s Yankees-Rangers Preview, Prediction
Yankees Betting Preview: Gerrit Cole Gives Yanks Major Edge
The Yankees have been the best team in baseball against teams above .500, but have struggled to take full advantage against softer competition.
They are heavy favorites in Monday's matchup and will surely be a popular bet with Cole matching up against an unproven rookie sporting a 12.85 ERA.
Cole has remained highly effective with a 2.95 ERA over 39 2/3 innings pitched since the All-Star Break. He holds an xFIP of 3.68 in that span and has struck out 9.76 batters per nine inning. He also has a .244 xBA in that timeframe.
Stranding 89.2% of runners has been key to his success since the All-Star Break, but that could be an unsustainable mark moving forward. However, he has had a pretty large sample of dominance with runners in scoring position. Dating back to last season, he has allowed an OBP of only .248 with RISP.
Cole's Stuff+ rating is down to 112 this season compared to 121 last year and 139 in 2022, but he does still feature three pitches that grade out as better than average.
The Yankees' offense continues to crush right-handed pitching. Since July 1st, the Yankees have a 129 wRC+ against righties with a .822 OPS.
Rangers Betting Preview: Growing Pains for Jack Leiter
Leiter has the stuff you'd expect from a former No. 2 overall pick, but the early results at the MLB level have been disastrous. He holds a Stuff+ rating of 114, including far above league average ratings on his fastball, changeup and slider. In 77 innings in Triple-A this season Leiter has pitched to a 3.51 ERA of 3.51.
The Rangers are 8-4 over their past 12 games, but three of those series came against the White Sox, Pirates and Athletics. Even still, they have averaged only 3.08 runs per game.
Yankees at Rangers Prediction: Over/Under Betting Analysis
Cole looks to be a lesser pitcher than in the past, but still figures to be an above average starter moving forward. He gets a great matchup versus one of the league's most disappointing offenses, one that has been particularly bad against right-handed pitching.
Leiter has the stuff to succeed and should stabilize over a larger sample. However, he gets a tough matchup here.
A betting total of 8.5 runs looks a little too high for this matchup and I see value backing the under at plus money. Totals at Globe Life Field are 23-43-2 (Over/Under).
Pick: Under 8.5 Runs +105 (Bet365, Play to +100)
Moneyline History
| Yankees | Rangers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79-58 | 65-72 |
| Home | 37-31 | 36-32 |
| Away | 42-27 | 28-40 |
| Favorite | 61-49 | 44-34 |
| Underdog | 18-8 | 19-37 |
Run Line (Spread) History
| Yankees | Rangers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68-69 | 57-79 |
| Home | 31-37 | 29-39 |
| Away | 37-32 | 28-40 |
| Favorite | 51-59 | 28-50 |
| Underdog | 17-9 | 28-28 |
Over/Under History
| Yankees | Rangers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 76-57-4 | 59-71-6 |
| Home | 40-27-1 | 23-43-2 |
| Away | 36-30-3 | 36-28-4 |
| Favorite | 65-43-2 | 33-42-3 |
| Underdog | 11-13-2 | 26-27-3 |
Yankees-Rangers Betting Trends
- 85% of the bets and 91% of the money are on the Yankees on the moneyline.
- 88% of the bets and 84% of the money are on the OVER.
- 86% of the bets and 73% of the money are on the Yankees to cover the run line.
Yankees Trends
- The Yankees are 1-4 in their last five games
- New York has a .554 win percentage as a favorite this season
- The Yankees are 5-5 in their last ten games
Rangers Trends
- The Rangers are 4-1 in their last five games.
- Games have gone OVER the total in 23 of the Rangers last 68 games at HOME
- Texas is 7-3 straight-up in its last ten games
Yankees-Rangers Game Info: How to Watch, Start Time, Channel, More
| Location: | Globe Life Field |
| Date: | Monday, September 2, 2024 |
| Time: | 8:05 p.m. ET |
| TV Channel/Live Streaming: | Bally Sports Southwest | YES |
Yankees-Rangers has a scheduled start time of 8:05 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Southwest and YES.
Yankees at Rangers Weather Forecast for Monday
