Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers Prediction and Betting Odds May 26
Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers betting preview for Thursday, May 26. Both teams are coming off AL West wins yesterday with Texas taking down Los Angeles and Oakland beating Seattle.
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| Thursday, May 26 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Oakland A’s -115 vs Texas Rangers +105 |
| Runline: | A’s -1.5 (+175) / Rangers +1.5 (-200) |
| Total: | 6.5 Runs (Over -125 / Under +105) |
| Game Time: | 9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT |
| Where: | RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland |
| Weather: | 64 and Clear with Light Winds Blowing out to Center |
Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers Analysis
The Texas Rangers visit RingCentral Coliseum to take on the Oakland A’s in the first of a four-game set. We should have a good pitching matchup with southpaw Martin Perez getting the nod against right-hander Frankie Montas. The Rangers split a two-game series at the Angels, while Oakland took two of three games at Seattle.
Bigger and Better in Texas
Before the season, most analysts didn’t think much of Martin Perez. After all, he’d been an average-at-best journeyman pitcher who stayed in the big leagues because he was a left-handed pitcher. However, he’s turned his career around in Arlington with outstanding numbers.
Through eight starts and 49.1 innings, he has a 1.64 ERA and an outstanding 1.01 WHIP. He’s struck out 38 hitters, only allowed 12 walks and zero home runs, which is probably the most impressive number of all.
The Rangers average 4.09 runs per game – 21st overall – and get most of those runs via the long ball, as they’re 13th-best with 43 long flies. They have a 26th best OPS of .645 and team average of .223.
According to handicapper Adam Trigger, some sharp bettors have put their money on Texas most of this year. It’s interesting because of the Rangers poor hitting stats and below average team ERA of 4.01, tied for 22nd in MLB.
Maybe this team is one of those “late bloomers” who could have used a regular length spring training, and will play better baseball later this season. That’s why I’ll probably tend to fade Texas until they play a stretch of better and more consistent baseball.
How’s the Hand?
Through nine starts and 50.2 innings, Montas has a 3.55 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 55 strikeouts, 13 walks and six home runs – that’s just over one per nine innings – pretty solid numbers across the board. His last start May 21 at the Angels was a shortened one (1.2 innings) after he took a line drive to his hand.
Although his season-long numbers look good, before his last outing he gave up six earned runs in 12.1 innings. And in his last start against Texas, he gave up just two runs in 7.1 innings, but still took the loss. Some pitchers don’t get good run support from their lineup, and it looks like Frankie Montas could be one of them.
Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers Prediction
It’s a close matchup with the A’s as a -115 favorite and Texas as a +105 underdog. The A’s don’t hit left-handers (or right-handers) well, and are 29th in team OPS at .606 – that will put a lot of pressure on their starter to perform. The Rangers are coming off a seven-run outing in Anaheim last night, and are swinging the bats well. That’s why I’ll lean towards the road dogs on the moneyline.
Prediction: Texas Rangers Moneyline (+105)
Interested in placing a bet on Thursday’s Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers AL West showdown? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for May 26
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. Nestor Cortes has taken the Bronx by storm this spring with a 1.80 ERA in eight starts. Can he keep the run going against Tampa Bay tonight? Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
Daily MLB Game Previews and Predictions
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WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s baseball games, including this Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.
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