Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction and Preview May 30
Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays betting preview for Memorial Day Monday, May 30. The Rangers come off a successful weekend in Oakland where they took three of four from the A’s, while the Rays split a four-game set with the Yankees at home.
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| Monday, May 30 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Tampa Bay Rays -140 at Texas Rangers +130 |
| Runline: | Rays -1.5 (+120) / Rangers +1.5 (-140) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -120 / Under EV) |
| Game Time: | 8:05pm ET / 5:05pm PT |
| Where: | Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas |
| Weather: | Retractable Roof |
Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Analysis
The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Globe Life Field to play the Texas Rangers in the first of a four-game series. It’s a battle of right handers with Drew Rasmussen taking the bump against Glenn Otto.
Same Old Rays
Tampa Bay is doing what the Rays always seem to do every year: Make the most of their roster from a limited budget, pitch well and win ball games. They have a fourth-best team ERA of 3.23 and a 1.09 WHIP, with the hitting a little below average at a 20th best OPS of .679 and .234 team average.
Drew Rasmussen is their staff ace and pitching really well in nine starts with 43.2 innings completed with a 2.68 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He’s been very consistent, never giving up more than three earned runs in any start. While anything can happen, I think the chances of the Rangers doing damage at the plate against Rasmussen are pretty low.
Otto Improving?
Glenn Otto has pitched better in his last two starts against Houston and the Angels, giving up just a combined three runs in 11.0 innings. He has a good 56-percent whiff rate, but also a hard hit rate of 42-percent.
When you look at the rest of his advanced analytics, they really give me some cause for pause. He’s in the lowest 18% (or lower) of Major League pitchers in these categories: xwOBA, xSLG, xBA, xISO, xOBP, %BB and xERA. These numbers mean he’s probably due for some negative regression, even though the Rays don’t have a great hitting lineup.
Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction
The Texas staff has made its way out of the basement and has a respectable 16th-best ERA of 3.95 and WHIP of 1.30. The Rangers hitters like to dial long distance as they’re 11th in MLB in home runs with 51. And they have a knack for hitting them later in most games. Team OPS is 23rd best at .664 and team average is .231. If a pitcher can avoid the long ball against the Rangers, they should be in pretty good shape. And Rays starter Drew Rasmussen has only given up three long flies this season.
It’s obvious the Rays have a big edge with their staff ace over Glenn Otto, and we’re getting a good moneyline price at -140 for both full game and first five innings. You never know when bullpens can or will blow up, so I’ll go with the Rays first five innings moneyline.
Prediction: Tampa Bay First Five Moneyline (-140)
On this Memorial Day, you’ll probably spend it with friends and family enjoying brats, BBQ and your favorite beverages. Have fun, be safe and look out for the folks around you. But before your head hits the pillow tonight, take a minute to remember servicemen, family, friends and loved ones who aren’t here to enjoy this holiday.
Best of luck with your plays, have a great Memorial Day holiday and I’ll talk with you again tomorrow.
Interested in placing a bet on Monday’s Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Memorial Day 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.
MLB Betting Tips with Dave Cokin and Kelly Stewart
Ready to take your MLB handicapping to the next level? Kelly Stewart sat down with Dave Cokin to discuss some of the under-the-radar angles that he’s looking for when betting baseball on a daily basis. Dave shares his thoughts on pitching patterns, stats to pay close attention to and how to approach in-game betting.
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 Monday’s baseball games, including this Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay 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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