Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Prediction

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
4:10 PM Saturday June 5th, FOX
Pitching Probables: James Shields vs. Tommy Hunter
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Tampa may have cooled a little bit but they still have the best record in the league. They can be maddening to play against too because they have proven that they are never out of a game as – see their two late game comebacks on their recent trip up north to Toronto. Texas has been playing a similar game,as well both teams have 9 victories in their last at bat. The biggest difference between the two clubs is on the mound. The Rays start the reliable James Shields who is coming off a brutal start against the White Sox but prior to that he had not given up more than 3 runs in a game since April 17. The Rays are 7-4 with Shields on the hill and an amazing 21-6 on the road entering the series. It is hard to bet against them these days.

The Rangers are starting Tommy Hunter who has not pitched at all this season making it hard to predict how he will do or how long they will let him pitch into the game. His stats last year were mediocre but Texas wants him to be part of the young staff they are developing. Last year he had two starts against the Rays and went 1-0 with a respectable 3.48 ERA. Key for him is keeping Evan Longoria in check, he is 0 for 5 in his career against Hunter. The Rangers took 6 of 9 from Tampa last year and are swinging some hot bats right now. They touched up starter Wade Davis for 8 runs in the series opener on Friday night.

Prediction: The Rays have lost back to back games only 4 times all season. Facing a pitcher likely on a limited pitch count will not help the Rangers who used 6 pitchers to beat the Rays on Friday. Whoever gets their starter deepest into the game should win and that is likely to be TB.

Score Prediction:
Tampa Bay – 5
Texas – 2

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Tampa Bay Rays Betting Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games
• Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
• Tampa Bay is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Texas
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas

Texas Rangers Betting Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas’s last 5 games
• Texas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas’s last 5 games at home
• Texas is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home