Going into game two of this American League showdown, the Rays (99-63, 53-28 home) are giving the start to Zach Eflin. On the other side, the Rangers (90-72, 40-41 away) are rolling with Nathan Eovaldi. Don’t miss my prediction for today’s Texas Rangers versus Tampa Bay Rays game in St. Petersburg.

TEXAS RANGERS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Tropicana Field at 3:08 ET on Wednesday, October 4th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • In their last three games, the Rangers have gone 2-1 vs. the runline.
  • As the road underdog, the Rangers’ runline win streak stands at three games.
  • In Nathan Eovaldi’s four most recent starts, the Rangers are 3-1.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING TO EXTEND AL WEST LEAD

The Rangers enter today’s action with an overall record of 90-72, putting them in first place in the AL West. So far, they have put together a 50-31 record at home and 40-41. Texas’ overall series record stands at 30-19-2.

Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers has been a reliable starter this season, boasting an impressive 12-5 record and 3.62 ERA. On the road, his ERA is 4.43 while at home it stands at 5.44. His WHIP is 1.14 and opposing teams have a .221 batting average against him with a slugging percentage of .375.

Nathan Eovaldi endured a rough outing, surrendering seven earned runs and five hits in 3 1/3 frames as the Rangers fell 8-0 to the Mariners. The defeat marked yet another difficult start for Eovaldi this season, who has struggled to find his form in 2023.

In their five most recent games, the Rangers have put together a batting average of only .168, placing them 26th compared to the rest of the league. At 5.4 runs per game, Texas is 3rd in the MLB. This figure has come on a team batting average of .263 and OPS of .789 which has them 3rd in baseball.

Adolis García has been a key contributor to the Rangers’ offense this season, boasting a .245 batting average and .508 slugging percentage. During the team’s last ten games, García has been on fire, leading Texas in hits with a .277 average.

WILL THE TAMPA BAY RAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

162 games into the season, the Rays have a record of 99-63, putting them 2nd in the AL East. This mark includes an overall series 31-14-6. At home, they are 53-28 compared to 46-35 on the road.

The Tampa Bay Rays will send Zach Eflin to the mound, who currently holds a 16-8 record. In his 31 appearances this season, Eflin has posted an ERA of 3.50 and a K/9 of 9.42. His FIP stands at 3.01 and his OBP is .259.

Zach Eflin earned the victory in his latest start, surrendering three earned runs and five hits over five frames against the Red Sox. His efforts were enough to secure a 9-7 win for the Rays.

For the season, the Rays’ offense is averaging 5.3 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, Tampa Bay’s team batting average is .260, putting them 3rd in the MLB.

Josh Lowe has been a consistent offensive force for Tampa Bay this season, boasting a .292 batting average and slugging .500. In the team’s last ten games, Lowe has been particularly impressive, leading the Rays in hits with a .429 batting average.