Heading into game two of this American League matchup, the Guardians (70-78, 37-36 home) will send Tanner Bibee to the mound against the Rangers (82-65, 37-35 away) and Dane Dunning. Check out my pick for today’s Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland Guardians game in Cleveland.

TEXAS RANGERS VS CLEVELAND GUARDIANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +101

This game will be played at Progressive Field at 6:10 ET on Saturday, September 16th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • In their last five games as the underdog, the Rangers have put together a record of 3-2.
  • The Guardians head into the game having lost two straight matchups as the moneyline favorite.
  • The Rangers have gone 1-2 in Tanner Bibee’s last three starts.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

For the season, the Rangers are 82-65 overall, including going 37-35 on the road and 45-30 at home. When looking at their overall series record, Texas is above .500 at 27-18-2. In the AL West, the Rangers are currently 2nd.

Dane Dunning will take the mound for the Texas Rangers, boasting a 10-6 record. He has made 31 appearances this season, compiling an ERA of 3.91 and a K/9 of 7.22. His FIP stands at 4.38 and his OBP is .312.

Dane Dunning earned the victory in his most recent start against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing three earned runs and six hits over six innings of work. The Texas Rangers ultimately prevailed 10-4.

For the season, the Rangers are 2nd in batting average, hitting a combined .267. Over their last five games, they have hit .281 which is 2nd in that span. Texas’ average of 5.5 runs per game puts them 3rd in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 209 times and have a team slugging percentage of .456.

The Texas Rangers have been bolstered by Marcus Semien’s offensive production in 2023. He currently sports a .277 batting average, having driven in 88 runs and smacked 24 home runs.

WILL THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering game 149 of their season, the Guardians are eight games out in the AL Central and are in 2nd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 19-24-4. Cleveland’s road winning percent is currently 44.0% (33-42) compared to 50.7% at home (37-36).

Tanner Bibee has been a key contributor to Cleveland’s success in 2023, boasting an impressive 10-4 record. The 24-year-old righty has made 24 appearances this season, posting a 3.03 ERA and 9.02 K/9 figure. His FIP of 3.59 and OBP of .286 further demonstrate his effectiveness on the mound.

The Guardians are hoping for a repeat performance from Tanner Bibee, who delivered a quality start in his last outing. Despite the seven innings and two runs allowed, the Angels still managed to come away with the 2-1 victory over Bibee and the Guardians.

So far this season, the Guardians’ has gone deep 114 times, placing them 26th in the league. Over Cleveland’s previous five games, they are 17th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.1 runs per game putting them 26th in the league. The Guardians’ overall team batting average stands at .249 along with an OBP of .312.

Josh Naylor has been a major contributor to the Guardians’ offense this season, leading the team in home runs with 17 over the course of the 2023 campaign. In their last ten games, Naylor has hit two homers and boasts an impressive .312 batting average.