It is far too early in the season to start talking about which divisions are going to be the most exciting in online betting, but my money would be on the AL West providing more than its fair share of sparks. It was a great race last season between the Mariners and the Angels, and the feeling is that we can expect more of the same this season, with the A’s also throwing their hat into the ring. The Texas Rangers are the only team that the pundits don’t really give much of a chance, but they might just be ready to prove people wrong.
Taking a Look at the MLB Spread Analysis on Oakland A’s vs Texas Rangers & TV Info
Date: Thursday, April 09, 2015
Time: 3:35PM
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Pitcher Matchup: Nick Martinez vs Kendall Graveman
Opening Line: Oakland -146
The main reason the Rangers are not getting a lot of love is because their best pitcher, Yu Darvish, will not appear this season, but they have a couple of great young arms that may just surprise a few people. The start this season with a 4-game stand against the A’s on the road, and they have had mixed results with their pitching so far. Yovani Gallardo was shelled in the opening game, as the A’s went on to record a comfortable 8-0 win. Colby Lewis got the ball in the second game and threw a gem, giving up just 1 earned run and leading the Rangers to a 3-1 win. They are going to need more performances like that if they hope to keep pace with the other teams in the AL West.
The Oakland A’s are not necessarily expected to win the division this season, but there are plenty who believe they can do enough to earn a Wild Card spot. They are going to have to do a little bit of patchwork in the outfield in the early part of the season, as both Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick will start the season on the disabled list. They are a team that will rely heavily on their starting rotation in order to be successful, and while they split the first two games of the season with the Rangers, they are sure to be pleased with the performances of Sonny Gray and Jesse Hahn in those starts.
Key Betting Trends
Texas is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Texas’s last 10 games
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas’s last 8 games on the road
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Oakland is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland’s last 6 games at home
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Texas
Consider This Before Placing Your Bet
The third game of this 4-game series will go on Wednesday, while the Thursday tilt will see Nick Martinez taking the mound for the Rangers against Kendall Graveman. It’s a bit of a toss-up here, but I think the A’s get the win at home.
