After nearly six months of baseball, the Rays and Rangers meet in Arlington to decide the second American League wild-card spot. Pro Edge Sports Picks and its team of handicapping experts have you covered with a full betting preview of this matchup:
David Price
- Price is 9-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.11 WHIP this season, including going 7-3 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.12 WHIP on the road, 7-7 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.04 WHIP at night and 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over his last three starts;
- Price is 1-7 with a career 5.57 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 11 starts against the Rangers.
Martin Perez
- Perez is 10-5 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.35 WHIP this season, including going 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.35 WHIP at home, 8-2 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.39 WHIP at night and 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over his last three outings;
- Perez has never faced the Rays in his MLB career.
Tampa Bay Offense
- The Rays are batting .257 with a .328 on base percentage this season (4.3 runs per game), including hitting .259 with a .325 on base percentage on the road (4.3 runs per game), .259 with a .332 on base percentage versus left-handed starters (4.5 runs per game) and .269 with a .339 on base percentage at night (4.5 runs per game).
Texas Offense
- The Rangers are batting .263 with a .319 on base percentage in 2013 (4.5 runs per game), including hitting .269 with a .331 on base percentage at night (4.6 runs per game), .280 with a .344 on base percentage versus southpaws (5.0 runs per game) and .271 with a .328 on base percentage at night (4.9 runs per game).
The most significant technical trends seem to favor the Rangers as they are 11-3 (+8.9 units) as modest home underdogs and 34-14 (+12.9 units) after three or more consecutive games against division foes, while Perez is a perfect 8-0 (+9.0 units) following two or more consecutive wins. However, the Rangers are just 1-9 (-11.2 units) at home versus teams with a win percentage between .540 and .620.
Bullpen Report
Tampa Bay relievers own a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP this season, including a 4.44 ERA and 1.41 WHIP on the road and a 3.56 ERA and 1.19 WHIP at night. The Rangers’ bullpen boasts a 2.91 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 2013, including a 2.63 ERA and 1.16 WHIP at home and a 2.59 ERA and 1.17 WHIP at night. Pro Edge does like the fact that the Rangers’ relief staff enter tonight’s game in excellent form with a 0.44 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over its last seven games (3.55 ERA & 1.42 WHIP for Tampa Bay’s bullpen L/7).