Rangers vs Rays Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers (June 9)
- The Rangers vs Rays odds list Tampa Bay as -170 moneyline favorites
- These two teams rank first and second respectively in runs per game
- Don’t miss the latest Rangers vs Rays picks, odds, and starting pitchers below
The class of the American League will be on display this weekend in Tampa Bay, as the Rays (46-19, 29-6 home) host the Rangers (40-21, 19-12 away) for a three-game set.
Texas’ +154 run differential is the best through 61 games in MLB history since 1939, while Tampa Bay is on pace for the second 100-win season in franchise history.
The series opener goes down Friday night, and online sportsbooks are siding with the home team in the MLB odds. They’ve pegged the Rays as chalk for this matchup, as they look to extend their six-game winning streak.
Rangers vs Rays Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Rangers | +145 | +1.5 (-135) | O 8 (-120) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -170 | -1.5 (+115) | U 8 (+100) |
Tampa Bay is currently a -170 moneyline favorite, in a contest with a total of 8. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm ET inside Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, FL, a stadium where the Rays have posted a league-high 29 home wins.
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Odds as of June 8 at Bet365. Check out SBD’s Bet365 review or another one of North America’s online sports betting sites.
Texas vs Tampa Bay Probable Pitchers
Despite these two teams owning the top-two records in baseball, neither is the frontrunner in the World Series odds. That honor belongs to the 2021 champion Braves, with the Rays checking in with the second shortest odds.
They’ll give the ball to Tyler Glasnow on Friday, who’ll make his third start of the season. The lanky right-hander started the year on the injured list with an oblique issue, and is just now slowing rounding back into form.
His first two starts of the season were encouraging, as he’s allowed only nine hits and four runs over 9.2 innings. He’s posted a 14-to-4 strikeout-to-walk rate, but big K numbers are nothing new to him. Glasnow has recorded a K/9 rate of 12.6 or higher in four straight seasons, spiking with a 14.3 mark in 2020.
He has very little history with the Texas regulars in the MLB starting lineups, but those he has faced have had his number. Current Rangers are batting .353 off Glasnow over 17 at-bats, with two homers and a 1.359 OPS.
Heaney vs Glasnow Stats
| 4-3 | Record | 0-0 |
| 4.03 | ERA | 3.72 |
| 1.26 | WHIP | 1.34 |
| .224 | OBA | .237 |
| 2.4 | SO/W Ratio | 3.5 |
The Rangers will counter with Andrew Heaney, who’s in the midst of his best stretch of the season. The lefty has yielded one run or less in three of his past four outings, however it’s important to note the competition.
One of those starts was versus the A’s, who are baseball’s lowest scoring team. Another was against Colorado at home, and everyone knows the Rockies only excel at Coors Field. He also faced Mariners, another below average lineup, and the Orioles during that stretch, with Baltimore being the cream of that crop.
Now comes a date with the Rays, who have smashed versus nearly everyone they’ve faced this season, but especially versus southpaws.
Rangers vs Rays Predictions
Tampa Bay is slashing .302/.362/.560 against left-handed pitching so far. Three of their top four hitters have performed exponentially better versus lefties than righties, led by Wander Franco. Tampa Bay’s shortstop is batting .400 against left-handers, with a 1.064 OPS.
https://twitter.com/BorbanBo/status/1666876781591134217
Both Randy Arozarena and Harold Ramirez have also tormented southpaws, with Ramirez hitting .118 points better against lefties than righties.
For the season, Tampa Bay ranks second in scoring and first in slugging and OPS. They’ve smacked 12 more home runs than any other American League squad, clubbing 58 dingers in only 35 home games.
Texas meanwhile, boasts a lineup that’s just as impressive. They lead MLB in runs per game and average, ranking fourth in slugging and second in OPS.
The most profitable over teams this MLB season ⚾️
1. Dodgers (36-24-2) 15.03% ROI
2. Rangers (34-24-1) 12.61% ROI
3. Red Sox (35-25-1) 11.95% ROI
4. Braves (33-24-4) 11.44% ROI
5. Rays (35-26-3) 9.66% ROI pic.twitter.com/6otFPWCDjv— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) June 8, 2023
The Rangers have scored six or more times in three of their past four outings, posting 12 and 16 run outputs last weekend. Marcus Semien is leading the way with hits in 31 of his past 33 games, slashing .333/.379/.593 over the last week.
Adolis Garcia is the team’s main source of power with 15 home runs, and the second most RBI’s in baseball (52). Texas has seen its contests fly over the total at the league’s second highest rate, while Tampa Bay clocks in at number five in that category.
Given the strength of both offenses, and the matchup advantage the Rays have over the Rangers left-handed starter, all signs point to this game exceeding offensive expectations.
Pick: Over 8 (-120)
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
