Over the course of a 162-game season in baseball, every team is going to go through some tremendous highs and lows. Being able to maintain a high level of consistency throughout the entire season is incredibly tough, which is why we should all know by now that getting carried away with a fast or slow start to the season is something that should be avoided at all costs. Teams that come storming out of the gate looking like world beaters very often have their weaknesses exposes quite quickly once that initial bubble bursts.
The reality in this league is that it’s virtually impossible to be that consistently good team when you do have a weakness that shows no signs of being fixed. That is exactly where the Pittsburgh Pirates are right now, as they are plummeting back to earth after a very solid start to the season. They will be in Texas for a 2-game series starting on Tuesday night as they look to right the sinking ship. The Texas Rangers are favored by 1 ½ at home as they look to keep pace in the AL West.
Pirates vs Rangers MLB Odds, Preview & Expert Prediction
The Melky Way. ✌️#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/V6Lq2SzLna
— Pirates (@Pirates) 28 de abril de 2019
- When: Tuesday, April 30 at 8:05 PM EST
- Where: Globe Life Park, Arlington
- Starting Pitchers: Lyles vs Sampson
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: The Fan
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Texas Rangers -110 (Total 11)
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Why bet on the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Given the current state of affairs in the Steel City, it’s easy to forget that the Pittsburgh Pirates were once sitting pretty with a 12-6 record. Since hitting that mark, though, they have lost 8 straight games to fall below the .500 mark and 5 games off the pace in the NL Central. As we mentioned earlier in this piece, the main problem for the Pirates is glaringly obvious, as you need only look at their total runs scored.
Through their first 26 games, they have only managed to drive home 84 runs. During this current 8-game skid, they have managed just 18 runs. Even when they did explode for 6 runs on Sunday versus the Dodgers, they still managed to come away with the loss. It will be Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.05 ERA) who will try to keep the Pirates close in this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 3.23
- Hits: 7.58
- Walks: 2.88
- Strike Outs: 8.69
Defense
- Runs: 4.04
- Hits: 7.77
- Walks: 2.62
- Strike Outs: 8.92
Why bet on the Texas Rangers?
The Texas Rangers are not making a great deal of noise in the early going, starting things out with a 14-13 record, but they are staying within reach of the leaders in the AL West. Heading into this interleague series, the Rangers are just 2 games out of first place in the division, so they will be looking to take advantage of a struggling team in an attempt to edge even closer.
Speaking of interleague games, the Rangers are 3-2 SU in the 5 that they have played thus far. It has been the home field that has been particularly kind to Texas, who are 10-4 in their own ballpark. They will look to build on their current 2-game win streak by sending Adrian Sampson (0-1, 4.50 ERA) to the mound for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 6.00
- Hits: 9.00
- Walks: 3.81
- Strike Outs: 9.67
Defense
- Runs: 5.59
- Hits: 9.22
- Walks: 4.48
- Strike Outs: 7.63
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Pirates vs Rangers MLB Betting Trends
- Pirates are 0-8 SU in their last 8 games this season
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh’s last 12 games against an opponent in the American League conference
- Rangers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 11 of Texas’ last 16 games against Pittsburgh
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Pirates vs Rangers
The Pittsburgh Pirates are going to break out of this slump at some point, but will it be in this one? I’m not so sure they can get the job done against a Texas Rangers team that is very tough to beat in their own ballpark. I do think the Pirates can keep it close, though.
Score: Pittsburgh Pirates 4 – Texas Rangers 5
