Rays vs Rangers Odds, Predictions, Picks

Rays vs Rangers Predictions

On Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers will square off for the second straight night. Monday’s game was a thriller, with the Rangers winning 3-2 with a late run to close things out. Here, the Rays will look for revenge against the Rays, while the Rangers will hope that their Cy Young award candidate can propel them to a second straight victory over a team they could face in the postseason this year.

Tampa Bay Rays Predictions

The Tampa Bay Rays have lost two games in a row going into Tuesday’s action, both of which have come on the road. They lost their series finale against the Kansas City Royals on the road, before dropping their season opener to the Rangers in Arlington on Monday night. Here, the Rays will look to fare better on the road, though they are now just 25-22 away from home on the 2023 season.

To win this game, the Rays will need a quality outing from Taj Bradley, who is getting the start for them in this contest. Bradley is just 5-5 this season, with a 5.43 ERA, and he will need to be better here against a Rangers team that leads all of baseball in runs scored this season. If he cannot do that, it could be a long night in Texas for Tampa Bay.

Also key in this game for the Rays will be their power-hitting, as they will need that to chase Nathan Eovaldi out of this game. Eovaldi has allowed just eight home runs all season, but the Rays rank fourth in baseball in home runs on the season. If Tampa wants to get Eovaldi out of this game and get after the Rangers bullpen, power bats like Randy Arozarena will need to make their presence felt.

Texas Rangers Predictions

For the Texas Rangers, this series is about more than just winning games to help their chances of winning the AL West. It is also about catching up to the Rays in the overall standings in the American League. Doing so would help the Rangers with their chances of finishing with the best record in the AL, and help their chances of getting home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.

If the Rangers are going to get a second straight win over the Rays to help their chances in that department, they are going to need a big-time performance from Nathan Eovaldi on Tuesday night. Eovaldi is 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA this season, and he has clearly been one of the best pitchers in the American League all season long. Look for him to come out firing here, as his team needs him to be at or near his best to win this game.

This contest is also a great opportunity for the Rangers offense to break out after a sluggish start to this series on Monday. The Rangers have the number one scoring team in baseball, but they did not look like the top scoring team in their 3-2 win on Monday. Look for the Rangers to fare better here against Taj Bradley, who has been struggling in a big way in 2023, en route to another significant home win.