The Rangers (82-64, 37-34 away) travel to take on the Guardians (69-78, 36-36 home) in game one of this American League matchup. Jon Gray is getting the start for the Rangers while Lucas Giolito is starting for the Guardians. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland Guardians showdown at Progressive Field.

TEXAS RANGERS VS CLEVELAND GUARDIANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers -125

This game will be played at Progressive Field at 7:10 ET on Friday, September 15th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • The Rangers will be taking on a Guardians club that is just 1-4 over their last five games.
  • Coming into the game, the Guardians have gone just 4-6 in their last ten home games.
  • In Jon Gray’s three most recent starts, the Rangers are 3-0.

CAN THE TEXAS RANGERS PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

With an overall record of 82-64, the Rangers are 2nd in the AL West. When playing at home, they are 45-30 and 37-34. So far, Texas has a record of 41-41 against below .500 teams and have played in 46 series, going 26-18-2.

Jon Gray is 8-7 with an ERA of 3.96 heading into the game. On the road, he has gone 5-3 with an ERA of 3.97 in 12 appearances. At home, his record is 3-4 and his ERA is 5.67. His WHIP for the season stands at 1.27, and opponents have a batting average of .243 against him with a slugging percentage of .372.

Jon Gray will be hoping to rebound from his last outing when he takes the mound today. The right-hander lasted just 2 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on four hits in a no-decision for the Rangers in their 9-4 victory over the Athletics.

For the season, the Rangers are 2nd in batting average, hitting a combined .267. Over their last ten games, they have hit .269 which is 5th in that span. Texas’ average of 5.6 runs per game puts them 3rd in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 208 times and have a team slugging percentage of .457.

The Texas Rangers have been bolstered by Marcus Semien’s offensive production in 2023. The veteran infielder has compiled a .278 batting average, while driving in 88 runs and swatting 24 home runs.

WILL THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Leading up to today’s game, the Guardians are 2nd in the AL Central on a record of 69-78. Overall, they have played in 46 different series, going 19-23-4. When playing above .500 teams, the Guardians are 69-78, and currently hold win percentages of 50.0% at home and 44.0% on the road.

Lucas Giolito will take the mound for the Guardians with a 7-13 record in 29 appearances. His ERA is 4.89, and his K/9 rate is 9.73, while his FIP and OBP are 5.22 and .305 respectively.

Lucas Giolito was handed the loss in a 6-2 defeat to the Angels, despite going seven innings and allowing four runs on four hits.

This season, the Guardians are 26th in the league at 4 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .240 (15th) leading to 3.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 2.9 walks per game compared to 7 strikeouts. Cleveland’s on-base percentage of .310 has them 20th in the MLB.

Josh Naylor has been a major contributor to the Guardians’ offense this season, leading the team with 17 home runs. His .306 batting average is also impressive, and he has hit one home run in the last five games.