The Texas Rangers will look to advance to the American League Divisional round when they meet the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of their Wild Card matchup on Wednesday. Texas opened the series with a 4-0 win on Tuesday. The Rangers (90-72), who finished second in the AL West, are in the postseason for the first time since 2016, when they were swept in a three-game series by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. The Rays (99-63), who finished second in the AL East, were swept in a two-game Wild Card series by the Cleveland Guardians last year.
The game is slated to begin at 3:08 p.m. ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rangers had MLB's third-best slugging percentage at .452, while the Rays were fourth at .445. Tampa is a -149 favorite (risk $149 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Rangers vs. Rays odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over-under for total runs scored is 8. Before making any Rays vs. Rangers picks, be sure to check out the latest MLB predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered the 2023 MLB playoffs 91-73 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 18-6 (+766). Anybody following has seen big returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Rays vs. Rangers and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several MLB betting lines and trends for Rangers vs. Rays:
- Rangers vs. Rays money line: Texas +127, Tampa Bay -149
- Rangers vs. Rays over/under: 8 runs
- Rangers vs. Rays run line: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+141)
- TEX: The Rangers had a plus-165 run differential during the 2023 season
- TB: The Rays are 53-29 at home this season, including postseason
- Rangers vs. Rays picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Rays
Left fielder Randy Arozarena was one of the few bright spots for Tampa Bay on Tuesday as he was 2-for-4 with a double. In seven games against the Rangers this year, including the postseason, Arozarena is hitting .300 with two doubles, one home run and three RBI. He has walked four times and stolen two bases. During the regular season, he played in 151 games and posted a .254 batting average with 23 homers, 83 RBI and 95 runs scored.
Also helping power the Tampa Bay offense is left fielder Harold Ramirez. Including the postseason, he has hits in eight of his past 11 games, including five multi-hit performances. In the final three games of the regular season, Ramirez was 6-for-13 with two doubles, one homer, three RBI and five runs scored. In 14 career games against Texas, he has nine hits, including one double and three RBI and has also registered two stolen bases. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back the Rangers
Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63 ERA) will start for Texas. In 25 starts in 2023, he has thrown 144 innings, walking 47 and striking out 132. Opponents are hitting just .225 against him. In two starts against the Rays this season, he is 2-0, allowing four earned runs over 12.1 innings. He beat Tampa Bay 5-3 on July 18, pitching six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and three walks, while striking out two.
Shortstop Corey Seager started the series off red hot, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Tuesday. He was among the Rangers' top hitters during the regular season, batting .327 with 42 doubles, 33 homers, 96 RBI and 88 runs scored. Including the regular season, Seager has hits in nine of 11 games. In six regular-season games against the Rays in 2023, he hit .320 with two homers and eight RBI. He is a career .278 hitter against Tampa Bay, including four homers and 19 RBI. See which team to back here.
How to make Rangers vs. Rays picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 9.0 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all of the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Rays vs. Rangers, and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has gone 91-73 on its top-rated MLB picks, and find out.
