Rays vs. Rangers Odds
| Rays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| +100 | 9.5 -104 / -118 | -1.5 +146 |
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| -118 | 9.5 -104 / -118 | +1.5 -176 |
On Wednesday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers will complete their three-game series at Globe Life Field.
The Rangers have taken the first two games in a pair of close victories. They'll look to complete the sweep and take the season series against a Rays team that they may see in October.
However, with Zack Littell opening the game, the Rays are favored to avoid the sweep today. Jon Gray will oppose him for the Rangers, and the set total is nine runs.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are on pace for their worst month of July in franchise history. With their loss last night, their record has dropped to 3-10 this month.
Their lead in the AL East has also dwindled to one game, as well. However, the Dodgers have helped them by handling the Orioles the last two nights.
An offensive power outage headlines the struggles for the Rays. After they were homering in seemingly every game earlier in the season, they've hit just 15 in 13 games this month.
In July, the Rays are averaging just 3.5 runs per game, nearly two below their season average. As a team, they're hitting just .202, led by the struggles of shortstop Wander Franco.
This month, Franco is hitting just .187 with two homers and four runs batted in.
Outfielder Randy Arozarena may have to jumpstart the offense again. He went 2-for-4 with a home run last night. He also has a home run in three at-bats against Gray.
The Rays' offense may be under a bit of pressure to score given their pitching situation for this game.
A rainout on Friday to begin the second half pushed Tyler Glasnow's start to Saturday and backed up their rotation by a day. Glasnow would otherwise be on regular rest.
Instead, they turn to Littell as an opener for the third time this season.
As an opener, Littell pitched two scoreless innings at Arizona and also allowed two runs in two innings against the Phillies. However, he's allowed at least one run in four of his last six appearances, including his last two.
Texas Rangers
In the first two games of this series, Dane Dunning and Nathan Eovaldi have held the Rays to just two runs in 13 innings of work.
A struggling Rays offense may be a welcome sight for Gray, considering he's allowed at least four runs (and three earned runs) in four of his last five starts. That's raised his ERA by over a run.
However, Gray has still turned in a solid season in his second year with the Rangers.
He's 6-5 with a 3.45 ERA and he's done a good job of limiting baserunners. He has a 1.15 WHIP and is holding batters to a .229 opposing batting average. He also ranks in the 71st percentile in hard-hit percentage and 74th percentile in barrel percentage.
Gray will be backed by the best offense in baseball. The Rangers lead the majors in runs per game, hits, batting average and on-base percentage. They also rank sixth in home runs, led by Home Run Derby participant Adolis Garcia.
The Rangers' offense has also been better at home this season, as they average 6.24 runs per game at Globe Life Field. They're also averaging nearly a home run per game more at home.
They can come at you in waves, as eight different players have double-digit home runs already this season.
However, expect Corey Seager to lead the way. His three-run home run in the seventh inning broke the game open and propelled the Rangers to the win last night.
Rays vs. Rangers Betting Pick
Despite his recent struggles, Gray gives the Rangers a pitching advantage early on against Littell.
The Rangers have also provided him with plenty of run support this season. They've scored 11 or more runs in four of his starts this season, including when he allowed six runs against the Blue Jays.
The Rangers may be able to get out to an early lead against Littell, particularly with Seager batting second in the lineup.
Seager has hit in all situations this season, but he particularly loves day games at home. He's hitting .377 at home this season and .398 in day games.
When he records enough at-bats to qualify, he'll be leading the AL with his .348 average overall.
On DraftKings, you can craft a custom player performance double in the same-game parlay feature. By combining Corey Seager to record one hit with Rangers, we get a nice price at +135 odds.
Seager has a hit in all but two games this month, so look for him to stay hot and lead the Rangers to victory.
