Rangers vs Giants Odds: First-Place Texas Looks to Withstand Losing Jung

All-Star third baseman Josh Jung will be out for the next month-plus with a broken thumb, dealing a crushing blow to the Texas Rangers’ formidable lineup. Still, it hasn’t slowed the Rangers’ pursuit of a long-awaited American League West title.

Can the Rangers hold on? Or will Jung’s absence be too much to overcome?

The Rangers begin a three-game set Friday at the San Francisco Giants. In the opener, Texas is -1.5 (+160) on the run line and -108 to win outright, with San Francisco priced -112. The projected total is 8, with the Over juiced to -108. Read on as we break down the Rangers vs Giants odds in our series preview. (opening Odds)

Jung Absent for Texas

After making a few big additions at the trade deadline, the Texas Rangers have kept up their pursuit of an American League West title. They entered Thursday with a record of 68-47, good for a 2.0-game lead over the Houston Astros atop the division in the Major League Baseball standings. They’re currently priced -120 to hold on to first.

While the acquisitions of Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery helped fortify the rotation, which is now without Nathan Eovaldi (forearm strain), the Rangers’ thunderous lineup recently took a hit. All-Star third baseman Josh Jung is expected to be out until late September on the MLB schedule after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left thumb.

Jung was injured fielding a line drive off the bat of Jorge Soler in a 6-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sunday. Jung had established himself as the frontrunner to win AL Rookie of the Year, batting .274 with 22 home runs and 67 RBI in 109 games. Since the injury, his Rookie of the Year odds have plummeted from +125 to +2800. Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson is now a -225 favorite.

The Rangers still lead the majors in runs scored and rank second in batting average and fifth in homers. Keep that in mind when evaluating the Rangers vs Giants odds.

Giants a Fixture in NL Playoff Race

The San Francisco Giants aren’t going to challenge for the most wins in the MLB season. Still, they are in good shape to make the National League playoffs, with oddsmakers pricing them -260. The Giants (62-53) are 6.0 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West but entered Thursday with a 2.5-game edge in the wild card.

The Giants’ rotation, led by Logan Webb and Alex Cobb, has been a strong suit. San Francisco is tied for 15th in MLB with 39 quality starts and owns the seventh-best ERA at 3.87. Their presence is significant, as San Francisco’s other starters have combined for an ERA of 4.95.

San Francisco is just 1-4 over its last five games. However, it continues to be formidable at home. Its 33 wins at Oracle Park are tied for the fourth most in the NL.

Odds Outlook

Texas has been among the most profitable teams for bettors, with a 68-47 record against the run line. Its 59.1% cover rate is the third-best in MLB behind the Cincinnati Reds (62.4%) and Baltimore Orioles (61.4%). That includes a 30-25 mark ATS on the road. Conversely, San Francisco is just 56-59 ATS but 29-28 at home. That’s important to remember when assessing the Rangers vs Giants odds.

Stripling owns an unsightly 5.21 ERA in 17 appearances (11 starts). However, since returning from the injured list in late June, Stripling has a 3.34 ERA with 29 strikeouts and just one walk in 35 innings. He is coming off arguably his best start of the season in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics: 5.1 innings, one run, seven strikeouts.The Rangers will counter with Gray, who is 7-5 with a 3.72 ERA.

A first-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Cobb is 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA. However, he owns a 6.35 ERA in August, having allowed five homers in 11.1 innings. His counterpart, Heaney, has thrown 11.2 scoreless innings this month and is 9-6 with a 4.14 ERA for the season. The left-hander has won his last three starts and is 4-0 over his last five.

Webb has been San Francisco’s most consistent starter, going 9-9 with a 3.38 ERA. His 17 quality starts are tied for the most in MLB, with New York’s Gerrit Cole. He also leads the majors in innings pitched, with 154.1. The right-hander is +850 to win his first NL Cy Young, the fifth-lowest odds on the board. He will face Dunning, who is 9-4 with a 3.21 ERA.

For baseball betting news, MLB odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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