At 9:40 PM ET, the Rangers and Mariners face off in an AL West matchup. This one is being played at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, and the Mariners are favored on the money line (-158). The money line odds for a Rangers win are sitting at +133, and the over/under line is at 7 runs.
Both of Thursday’s starting pitchers are rookies, as Kumar Rocker goes for the Rangers, while the Mariners will send Bryce Miller to the mound. Texas is currently on a two-game losing streak, and their record of 70-76 has them 3rd in the AL West. Seattle is 2nd in the division with a record of 74-72.
Rangers’ Struggles Continue: Can Kumar Rocker Spark a Turnaround?
Currently, the Texas Rangers are 70-76 and trail the Astros by 7.5 games in the AL West. They have lost two straight games and are 3rd in the division. The Rangers are 19-20 in divisional matchups and 41-34 at home compared to 29-42 on the road. As the underdog, Texas is 16-31, and they are 23-43 as the favorite. Their overall series record is 20-25-1, and they lost their most recent series against the Diamondbacks.
On the mound for the Rangers today is Kumar Rocker, who is making his first start of the season. Texas is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the MLB. Marcus Semien leads the team with 20 home runs and 69 RBI. Over his last 8 games, Semien has hit .257 with 2 home runs. Wyatt Langford is hitting .342 over his last 9 games. The Rangers have an over/under record of 66-75 and have an average line of 9 runs. When the line has been set at 7 runs, they have gone over the total in just 2 of 6 games. Their average run differential in losses is -3.9 runs per game.
Mariners’ Playoff Push: Bryce Miller Takes the Mound as Seattle Faces Rangers
Seattle is 74-72 overall and 3.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West. The Mariners are 22-17 against other teams in the AL West. They have been good at home this year, going 42-29, but they are just 32-43 on the road. Seattle’s over/under record is 66-71, and the average combined run total in their games this season is 7.9. When the over/under line is set at 7 runs, their record is 13-19-7. In 65.8% of their games this season, the over/under line has been set higher than 7 runs. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs per game.
Seattle is sending right-hander Bryce Miller to the mound today vs. the Rangers. He has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 11-8 with a 3.18 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Miller has a WHIP of .99 and has turned in 15 quality starts. In his last outing, Miller didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, picking up the win vs. the Cardinals. Before that, he had allowed at least two earned runs in three straight outings. Miller’s ERA on the road is 4.9 compared to 2.31 at home.
Seattle’s offense has been poor this season, ranking 25th in scoring with 4.1 runs per game. Their batting average of .219 is the worst in the league, and they also rank 29th in strikeouts per game. However, they are 4th in walks. Cal Raleigh and Luke Raley have been hot at the plate recently, with Raleigh hitting .375 over his last 6 games and Raley hitting .348 over the same span. Both players are on hitting streaks, with Raleigh’s at 9 games and Raley’s at 3 games.
Mariners Edge Rangers in Tight Contest: Bet on the Money Line for Best Value
The best bet in this one is to take the Mariners on the money line, and with the payout being at -158, there is some good value there. We have the Mariners winning this one by a score of 6-5, and with the over/under sitting at 7 runs, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Bryce Miller going for the Mariners. He is projected to finish with four strikeouts, and his final line is 2nd worst in terms of hits allowed and third worst in terms of earned runs. If you’re looking for a Rangers vs. Mariners prediction, we have the Rangers finishing with more hits, but the Mariners finishing with more runs.
