Rangers vs Athletics Picks and Predictions: The Wrong Team is Favored

The Texas Rangers are in Oakland tonight, looking for another win after coming back from a 5-0 deficit last night in Seattle. 

The Rangers ended up winning 7-6, breaking a five-game losing skid. After starting the season 0-2, the Athletics are 8-6 and are coming off taking three out of four at home against the Orioles.

The A's homestand continues tonight against an AL West foe in the first of a three-game set. 

Find out who we like to win tonight in our free MLB picks and predictions for Rangers vs. Athletics on Friday, April 22. 

Rangers vs Athletics odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The line opened with the Rangers as -125 favorites, with the total set at 8. Texas is now -135 on the moneyline with the total down half a point at 7.5, slightly juiced to the Over at -115.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.

Rangers vs Athletics predictions

• Prediction: Athletics ML (+115)
• Prediction: Over 7.5 (-115)
• Best bet: Athletics -1.5 (+215)

Picks made on 4/22/2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Rangers vs A's game info

• Location: RingCentral Coliseum, Oakland CA
• Date: Friday, April 22, 2022
• First pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
• TV: Apple TV+

Rangers vs Athletics betting preview

Starting pitchers

Glenn Otto (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Otto has yet to see the mound this season. The 26-year-old right-hander threw 23 1-3 innings last year for Texas, compiling a bleak ERA+ of 48 and a WHIP of 1.71. During this year's spring training, the former Rice prospect allowed eight hits over 6 1-3 innings, striking out three and walking five.

Adam Oller (0-1, 13.50 ERA): Oller lasted only 3 1-3 innings in his last start against the Blue Jays, allowing two earned runs on five hits. That was still better than his first outing of the season against Tampa Bay on April 12 when the journeyman was taken out in the second inning, giving up five runs and two homers.

Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.

Key injuries

Rangers: No key injuries to report.
Athletics: Jed Lowrie 2B (Out), Stephen Vogt C (Out), Stephen Piscotty RF (Out), Chad Pinder LF (Out), Kevin Smith 3B (Out), Skye Bolt CF (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Rangers are 0-8 in their last eight games as a favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Athletics

Rangers vs Athletics picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Moneyline analysis

Once again, the Oakland Athletics are proving us wrong, finding ways to win games after parting with big names in the offseason. I feel like I've seen this in a Brad Pitt movie before...

Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea, Starling Marte, and Mark Canha are all gone. Yet, Oakland is two games above .500, and the A's have a chance to improve their record against a Texas squad that has been a disaster to start the year.

The Rangers made a splash in free agency, signing All-Star infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. While Seager continues to swing the bat well, Semien has been a big disappointment out of the gate with a dismal slash line of .180/.236/.240, not remotely close to the number he put up last year in Toronto that had him finish third in AL MVP voting. 

Even with Semien scuffling at the plate, Texas still averages 4.1 runs per game thanks to the continued success of Nathaniel Lowe at the plate. Lowe has been on fire to start the year with an OPS+ of 170, and that's without hitting a single home run. 

The reason Texas is 3-9 to start the year is their pitching, which ranks 30th in the MLB. Chris Woodward's club possesses a team ERA of 6.09, and that number could go up tonight. 

Glenn Otto faced Oakland last year at the Coliseum and was on the hook for eight earned runs. Although the A's no longer have a big-time slugger like Matt Olson in their lineup, Oakland has still been able to score runs. 

The A's rank 7th in runs per game, led by Tony Kemp. The speedster has a .415 OBP so far and has been the perfect leadoff man for Mark Kotsay's club.

The public is getting way too excited about Texas' late comeback against the Mariners last night, and that's why the Rangers are currently priced at -135. I have no problem fading them here. 

Prediction: Athletics ML (+115 at bet365)

Over/Under analysis

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that each team will get their fair share of runs in this game. It doesn't concern me that the total went down half a point, and I'll still be banking on a high-scoring affair. 

The Over is 7-1 in the last eight meetings between these two teams, and 5-1-1 in the Rangers' last seven overall. The Over is also 4-1 in the A's last five games as an underdog.

The starting pitchers in this game scream Over, and Texas has the worst bullpen in the MLB right now. The Rangers relievers have a combined ERA of 5.04 through 60 2-3 innings. 

Prediction: Over 7.5 (-115 at bet365)

Best bet

Only one of Texas' nine losses has been by less than two runs. 

The A's are 7-1 in their last eight home games, and the Coliseum caters to their style of play. The Rangers are just 16-35 in their last 51 meetings in Oakland, so this has been a fairly lopsided divisional rivalry over the years.

The A's are 5-1 in their last six home games against a right-hander, and they're facing a pitcher who's making his first start of the regular season. 

Would it surprise me if the A's won by more than one run tonight against a 3-9 team?

Absolutely not. 

Pick: Athletics -1.5 (+215 at bet365)

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