MLB Betting – Athletics Take On Rangers After Emotional High

Trevor Cahill will have a tough act to follow after Dallas Braden’s perfect game against the Rays, and the odds are against him beating the Texas Rangers. With a series win, the Oakland Athletics can slide past the first place Rangers in the AL west. Currently they sit one-game back and three-games ahead of the Angels. Can they overcome the baseball betting odds and beat Texas?

This is Cahill’s first real year in the majors, and in his first outing he was blown up by the Toronto Blue Jays. In just five innings, Cahill gave up 7 hits and 6 earned runs as the Jays won 10-2. His second performance was earlier this month, when he pitched a 5-hitter in five innings against the Rangers allowing one run.

Hey may not be the most comforting bet, but Cahill will at least have some familiarity against Texas despite being so young and unproven.

As Braden’s perfect game proved, the A’s are built around pitching and that makes them a very unsettling MLB betting pick. It’s not just about having a great rotation, or a strong bullpen. You have to have the bats in the AL to compete, and the A’s rank just 9th with only 4.2 runs per game on average.

Oakland Athletics (17-15) vs. Texas Rangers (18-14)
Tuesday, May 11th — Rangers Ballpark — 8:05pm EST
MLB Betting Line:
Trevor Cahill – R +1.5 -125 +160 O 9.5 EV
Colby Lewis – R -1.5 +105 -190 U 9.5 -120

Colby Lewis, who is 3-1 SU this season in six starts. The Rangers have gone 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS when Lewis starts which is why the baseball betting odds are leaning in Texas’s favor. Unfortunately, the only game the lost against the run line and on the money was that same game Cahill pitched against Texas. Lewis gave up 5 hits and 3 runs in 6.0 innings.

Part of what makes the Rangers so dangerous is that they’re ranked second in offense when playing at home. They score an average of 5.4 runs per game at Rangers Ballpark, which is far above their overall average. At home, they are surely a strong bet.

Where To Watch: CSCA, FSH

However, I wouldn’t underestimate how galvanizing Braden’s perfect game was. With the A’s starting rotation putting the team on their backs, Oakland will extend their winning streak to three games. The game will be too tight to warrant a RL bet, but if you’re feeling savvy I’d take both sides with the Athletics.

Airing on the side of the Rangers isn’t a bad bet, it’s just bad timing. The Athletics are riding an emotional high after Braden’s win and that will give them enough resolve to rally past the Rangers in the first game of the series and move in to a tie for first place.

Furious MLB Betting Pick – Oakland RL and ML (UNDER)