Ken Waldichuk will get the start for the Athletics (32-80, 17-39 home) as they host the Rangers (66-46, 26-26 away) at Oakland Coliseum. The Rangers will give the starting nod to Dane Dunning. Check out my prediction for game one of this AL West matchup between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.

TEXAS RANGERS VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Oakland Athletics +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 9:40 ET on Monday, August 7th.

WHY BET THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS:

  • The Rangers are just 3-7 vs. the runline in their last ten road games.
  • Texas have failed to cover the runline in three straight road games.
  • The Rangers are just 1-2 in Dane Dunning’s last five starts.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING TO EXTEND AL WEST LEAD

The Rangers enter today’s action with an overall record of 66-46, putting them in first place in the AL West. So far, they have put together a 40-20 record at home and 26-26. Texas’ overall series record stands at 19-13-2.

Dane Dunning has been a force to be reckoned with in 2023. His 9-4 record and 3.14 ERA are impressive, but it’s his performances on the road and at home that really stand out. On the road, Dunning has posted an ERA of 3.05 and a record of 3-3 in 12 appearances. At home, he’s put together a 6-1 mark with an ERA of 3.54. His season-long WHIP is 1.14, while opponents have managed just a .233 batting average against him and a .357 slugging percentage.

Dane Dunning earned the victory in his most recent start against the White Sox, surrendering one earned run and three hits over 7 2/3 innings. The Rangers’ 11-1 triumph was a result of Dunning’s impressive performance.

For the season, the Rangers’ offense is averaging 5.8 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 2nd in the league in scoring, with a total of 37 runs. Overall, Texas’ team batting average is .272, putting them 1st in the MLB.

Adolis García has been a key contributor to the Texas Rangers’ offensive success this season, boasting a .266 batting average and .533 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, García has been an even bigger force at the plate, leading Texas in hits with a .370 average.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

For the season, the Athletics have put together a record of 32-80 and are 5th in the AL West, putting them 34 games out of first place. Oakland’s overall series record sits at 8-25-1. On the road, they have gone 15-41 and 17-39 at home.

The Athletics will turn to starter Ken Waldichuk, who has an overall record of 2-7 through 25 appearances this season. His ERA stands at 6.52, with a K/9 figure of 9.07 and a FIP of 5.64, while opponents have an OBP of .373 against him.

Ken Waldichuk was dealt the loss in the Athletics’ 7-3 defeat to the Dodgers, surrendering four runs on one hit in 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander’s performance marked a difficult outing for him this season.

Over their last five games, the Athletics are ranked 16th in the league in scoring at 3.2 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 3.6 per contest puts them 27th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Oakland is 22nd, with an OBP currently sitting at .302. The team’s collective batting average is .223 (23rd).

Zack Gelof has been a key contributor to the Oakland offense this season, boasting a .260 batting average and .562 slugging percentage. Over the past ten games, Gelof has been on fire at the plate, leading the team with hits and batting an impressive .285.