Rangers vs Rays Prediction and Betting Odds May 31
Rangers vs Rays Betting Preview
The Rays still sit five games back in the AL East despite their 28-20 record which they hope to improve tonight in Arlington. WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays betting preview for Tuesday, May 31.
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| Tuesday, May 31 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Texas Rangers -112 vs Tampa Bay Rays +102 |
| Runline: | Rangers -1.5 (+170) / Rays +1.5 (-190) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over +100 / Under -120) |
| Game Time: | 8:05pm ET / 5:05pm PT |
| Where: | Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX |
| Weather: | 90 Degrees / Clear |
Rangers vs Rays Analysis
The Tampa Bay Rays go against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in the second of a four game series. The home team took the first game Monday night 9 to 5, roughing up Rays ace Drew Rasmussen for five funs in just three innings.
Tonight it’s a battle of southpaws tonight with Ryan Yarbrough going against the rejuvenated Martin Perez.
The Rangers are a slight -112 favorite, the Rays are a +102 underdog, the total is 8 with the over at +100 and the under at -120.
Rays Preview
Yarbrough has been OK this year, but nothing spectacular. In five starts he’s worked 20.1 innings with a 3.98 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 17 strikeouts and has only given up eight free passes and one home run.
He hasn’t gone deep into games as his longest start this year was just 5.1 innings. The Rays need him to get at least five solid innings tonight after Drew Rasmussen got pulled after three frames in last night’s game.
Rangers Preview
Martin Perez could be the most improved player in baseball. In his last five starts he’s gone at least six innings and given up no more than one earned run each time.
Control has been a bit of an issue as his walk rate is just over four free passes per nine innings. But the rest of his stats and results are pretty darn good.
In nine starts and 56.1 innings, he has a 3-2 record, a 1.60 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP with 44 strikeouts. He’s avoided a lot of hard contact and most importantly, haven’t given up a home run yet this season – which is really impressive.
The Rangers pitching coach Doug Brocail has done a really good job with his pitchers after a rough start to the year. Especially in the bullpen, where they were one of the worst staffs in baseball – but now are in the top half of MLB.
Rangers vs Rays Prediction
Sharp money has been on Texas most of the season, and with their improved play on the field we’re starting to see why. Bullpens are about even, as the Rays have a 9th best and the Rangers a 12th best team ERA.
Tampa is still a solid club that should be in the running for the playoffs in September, but the Rangers have the edge in starting pitching and have swung the bats better as of late. That’s why I’ll lean to Texas on the moneyline.
Prediction: Texas Rangers Moneyline
Interested in placing a bet on Tuesday’s Rangers vs Rays American League 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 Predictions for Tuesday, May 31
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
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 Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Rangers vs Rays 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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