Rangers vs Yankees Picks: NY Tied For AL East Lead
Rangers Fading Quickly From Playoff Contention
The Texas Rangers (54-61) visit the New York Yankees (68-48) for a three-game series beginning Friday. The Rangers are in danger of falling out of the AL West race completely. The Yankees and Orioles are battling tooth-and-nail for the top spot in the AL East.
The Rangers vs Yankees picks show Cody Bradford and Carlos Rodon as the scheduled starters for Friday’s opener.
- The Yankees are -165, and the total on the game is 8.5-over (-120).
- New York is +115 on the run line at -1.5 runs.
- The odds on Texas +1.5 runs are -135.
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The Rangers are No. 21 in team batting average and No. 18 in home runs, so the offense isn’t doing its part. Texas is scoring 4.22 runs per game, which is slightly below the MLB average of 4.43 runs per game.
The Rangers don’t show a bit difference between home or away scoring, but do score a little less when facing a left-handed starter.
The Texas pitching staff is No. 21 in team ERA and has converted 24 saves in 37 attempts. The relievers ranked No. 27 in bullpen ERA, so there’s room for improvement from the pitchers.
New York is No. 10 in team batting average, but the Yankees are among the MLB HR leaders with 172, which trails just Baltimore. As a result, the Yankees are scoring 5.13 runs per game, but just 4.62 runs at home. Despite the lower scoring, New York is still 30-24-1 in totals at home this season.
The pitching staff has been pretty solid, ranking No. 4 in team ERA, and the Yankees have converted 30 saves in 46 opportunities. The bullpen ranks No. 4 in bullpen ERA, so the pitching staff has had a lot to do with the success of the Yankees.
Game 1
Rangers vs Yankees 
Day/Time:
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, Nueva York
Friday’s Game
The Rangers have won all four of Bradford’s starts this baseball season, and he’s 3-0 with a 3.96 ERA. His last two outings haven’t been very good. One was as a starter, and one was as a reliever.
Texas has been winning Bradford’s starts thanks to an offense that has scored 34 runs in those four MLB games, along with some solid relief pitching.
With Bradford allowing eight runs in his last 5 2/3 innings, it’s hard to want to back him here. New York does struggle with left-handed starters, going just 12-16 and scoring 4.4 runs per game.
The Yankees are 15-9 when Rodon takes the mound and average 5.61 runs per game. They are just 2-4 when Rodon starts against a fellow left-handed pitcher and 3-3 in totals. New York is 6-3 when Rodon starts at home, so they are winning.
There are definitely conflicting trends in this game, making it a bit tough to use in your MLB picks today. All things considered, the over 8.5 might be the way to go here.
Saturday’s Game
The Rangers vs Yankees picks show Nathan Eovaldi and Gerrit Cole as the scheduled starters Saturday. Cole will likely be a prohibitive favorite, even though he hasn’t been himself most of the season.
Cole is 3-2 with a 5.09 ERA, spending plenty of time on the MLB injured list. New York has won five of his eight starts, but are averaging 6.5 runs per game.
Eovaldi has pitched well for the Rangers, going 8-5 with a 3.62 ERA. Texas is 12-8 when he starts, but only 3-4 when he starts on the road. The Rangers have won his last two road starts.
Cole’s name is going to ensure the line is fairly steep in this game, although it may not be entirely warranted. Eovaldi is a better pitcher at home, although he could be worth a look here if the price is high enough.
Texas needs two wins to remain in the MLB playoff picture and have a shot to get one here.
Rangers starting pitching probables for this weekend’s series in New York against the Yankees #StraightUpTX
Friday – Cody Bradford
Saturday – Nathan Eovaldi
Sunday – Andrew Heaney pic.twitter.com/upgxJ6M87w— Kane McCutchen (@Kane_McCutchen6) August 7, 2024
Sunday’s Game
The Rangers vs Yankees picks have Andrew Heaney and Marcus Stroman as the starters for Sunday’s series finale. Heaney hasn’t pitched all that bad, but is getting little support from his teammates. He has a 4-11 record and a 3.98 ERA, and Texas is 7-15 when he starts.
Stroman is 7-6 with a 4.10 ERA and the Yankees are 14-8 when he starts, but just 4-7 when he starts at home. New York is scoring 4.0 runs per game when he pitches at home and 7.65 runs when he starts on the road.
Given New York’s struggles with left-handers and Stroman’s home and away splits, there is a bit of logic in taking the Rangers in this one. Stroman should be a good-sized favorite here when you factor in Heaney’s record. Don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on Texas as a value play in this one.
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