The forecast looks good for Thursday’s interleague matchup between the Rangers and Dodgers, with the temperature sitting in the upper 70s and clear skies in Los Angeles. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is set for 10:10 PM ET.
Michael Lorenzen is starting for the Rangers, and they are the slight underdog on the money line (+177). The Dodgers are starting Michael Grove, and they are the heavy favorite at -217. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the game can be seen on BSSW.
Rangers Look to Gain Ground in AL West as Lorenzen Takes the Mound Against Dodgers,
The Texas Rangers are 32-35 overall and trail the Mariners by 6.5 games in the AL West. They are 9-11 in divisional games this year. Texas is 16-17 at home and 16-18 on the road. As the favorite, they are 20-18 and 12-17 as the underdog. The Rangers are 5-5 over their last 10 games. Today, they are on the road against the Dodgers. The O/U line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. This season, the average O/U line for Rangers games is 8.6 runs. Texas is 25-40 O/U for the season and 8-15 when the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs.
Michael Lorenzen will be starting for the Rangers today. He is 3-3 this year with a 3.05 ERA. Lorenzen has a WHIP of 1.24 and opponents are hitting .216 against him. He is 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA in six road starts. The Rangers’ offense is 15th in scoring this year and is led by Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Adolis García. Josh Smith and Marcus Semien have been productive over the last 9 games. Nathaniel Lowe has a 3-game hitting streak, and Ezequiel Duran has an 8-game hitting streak.
Dodgers Dominate NL West: Key Stats and Standout Performances,
Los Angeles is 42-27 this season and lead the NL West by 6.5 games over the Padres. The Dodgers are 13-10 in division games this year and 22-13 at home. Los Angeles is 40-24 as the favorite and 2-3 as the underdog. Their average run margin in wins is +4.3 runs per game. Michael Grove is 4-2 this season with a 4.72 ERA. So far, he has held opponents to a .211 average. Grove’s ERA is 4.72 out of the bullpen and 5.79 at home. The Dodgers are tied in their current series vs. the Rangers.
Los Angeles is 35-34 on the over/under this season, with an average combined run total of 8.6 runs. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, the Dodgers are 20-13. 23.2% of their games have had an over/under line set at 8.5 runs or higher. The Dodgers are 4th in scoring and 3rd in homers and batting average this season. They have the best on-base percentage and OPS in the league. Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani are both in the top 5 in the league in homers and RBI. Teoscar Hernández is 5th in the league in RBI and is hitting .270 over his last 9 games.
Dodgers Predicted to Edge Rangers 5-4: Bet the Over with Confidence!,
Our predictions for this one have the Dodgers picking up a 5-4 win at home. However, with the money line payout for the Dodgers being -217, we recommend taking the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at today’s starters, Michael Lorenzen is predicted to finish with four strikeouts, while Michael Grove is predicted to finish with six. As for the Dodgers and Rangers lineups, the Dodgers are predicted to finish with nine hits compared to the Rangers with eight.
