The Baltimore Orioles will try to open the second half of the season with a series win when they visit the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Saturday night.
The Orioles picked up a win in the series opener last night behind Corbin Burnes and are slight favorites in the MLB odds again tonight against the Rangers.
Texas will like their chances better tonight with Max Scherzer on the mound. I’ll look at what to expect in the second game of the series in my MLB picks and Orioles vs. Rangers predictions for July 20.
Orioles vs Rangers prediction
My best bet
Rangers moneyline (+104 at FanDuel)
My analysis
The Texas Rangers have struggled to recapture their magic from last season, as the defending World Series champions are well below .500 and 7.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card position. As title defenses go, this one has been a disaster.
However, Texas has seen some signs of improvement lately, winning seven of its last nine games heading into the All-Star break. And the team has also received some much-needed reinforcements, including the return of veteran pitcher Max Scherzer.
The 39-year-old Scherzer has dealt with a litany of injury concerns over the last year, requiring back surgery in December before learning he had a nerve issue that slowed his recovery. The three-time Cy Young Award winner came back to the mound on June 23 and has been excellent over his first five starts.
So far, Scherzer has gone 1-2 with a 2.96 ERA over 27 1/3 innings of work. He's exhibited outstanding control, which has allowed him to put up a stellar 0.988 WHIP to start the season. The one point of concern has been his declining strikeout rate, which sits at just 7.6 per nine innings, down from his career rate of 10.7 per nine.
However, even that has improved as Scherzer has rounded into form. He's struck out six batters in each of his last two outings, and outside of giving up a few too many homers — perhaps a problem of small sample size, though admittedly something to keep an eye on — he looks like he's recaptured the form that's made him one of the best pitchers in the majors for the past 15 years.
In tonight’s game, Scherzer will face off against Grayson Rodriguez, a pitcher at the start of his own promising career. Rodriguez leads the American League with wins, going 11-4 with a 3.88 ERA in the first half of the season. However, his peripherals are merely solid — his 1.244 WHIP includes allowing 1.2 homers per nine innings — and he's struggled to a 5.52 ERA over his last five starts.
If Scherzer is back in form, as he appears to be, the Rangers shouldn’t be an underdog to anyone but a top team with an elite starter, and Rodriguez doesn’t quite fit that bill yet. With plus money available on Texas, I’m taking the Rangers to win outright.
Orioles vs Rangers same-game parlay (SGP)
Rangers moneyline
Over 8
Max Scherzer 5+ strikeouts
I’m betting on Scherzer to carry Texas to a victory tonight and that’s the story I’m betting on for my same-game parlay. That means I’m taking Scherzer to log 5+ strikeouts tonight to go along with the Rangers on the moneyline.
However, I’m also going to take the Over. The 8-run total is reasonable and these teams have combined to hit the Over in all but one of their matchups so far this season. When the Rangers are likely to do fairly well at the plate against Rodriguez, the Over is a good value add.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Orioles vs Rangers odds
Orioles vs Rangers live odds
Orioles vs Rangers opening odds
- Run line: Baltimore -1.5 (+145) | Texas +1.5 (-170)
- Moneyline: Baltimore -120 | Texas +100
- Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Orioles vs Rangers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Orioles are up seven units on the moneyline this year, while the Rangers have lost 10 units for backers this season.
- Baltimore has gone 12-5 this season in Rodriguez’s starts, while Texas has a 3-2 record in Scherzer’s five starts in 2024.
- The Under has a 53-40 record when the Rangers have played this season. The Over has gone 50-38 in Orioles games in 2024.
- Texas and Baltimore have hit the Over in four of their first five meetings this season.
Orioles vs Rangers trend
The Orioles are 2-5 in their last seven games. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Rangers.
Orioles vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX |
| Date: | Saturday, 7-20-2024 |
| First pitch: | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MASN2, Bally Southwest |
| Orioles starting pitcher: | Grayson Rodriguez (11-4, 3.88 ERA) |
| Rangers starting pitcher: | Max Scherzer (1-2, 2.96 ERA) |
Orioles vs Rangers latest injuries
Orioles vs Rangers weather
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