The Rangers/Yankees matchup looks like a potential ALCS preview, but what this abbreviated two-game series ultimately represents for Texas is a true test. The second game of the series is slated for Wednesday night at 8:05 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas.

Sitting 18 games above .500 in mid-August, the Rangers have the wins, but they will be the first to tell you they have not truly been tested as of late. Before the series with New York, the Rangers had played 16 consecutive games against AL West competition, which is arguably the weakest division in baseball.

It would take a minor miracle for either New York or Texas to miss the postseason, but this series does carry meaning with home-field advantage on the line in the playoffs. New York is currently four games ahead of the Rangers with a month and a half of baseball to play.

If Texas wants to put the AL West division race to rest and gain some ground on New York, it will have to start playing more consistent baseball. The Rangers have not shown the same firepower that helped them win 11 consecutive games back in late June.

Since that 11-game winning streak during Interleague play that helped the Rangers put a death grip on the AL West, they have hardly been playing like a pennant contender. Texas is 24-19 since that winning streak. One of the reasons for the barely-above-average record over the past month-plus could be the lack of a race in the West with Oakland and Los Angeles eight games back and not threatening to make a run.

Texas took Game 1 of this series in extra innings. It loaded the bases in the 10th inning against Mariano Rivera, who had entered with a 0.88 ERA. The Rangers won the game on a David Murphy single. That was certainly a confidence builder, especially as ace Cliff Lee gets set to take the mound in Game 2 of this series.

MLB Predictions: Pitching matchup

Javier Vazquez (9-8, 4.63) vs. Cliff Lee (10-5, 2.44 ERA)
Vazquez has been extremely underwhelming in big-game situations this year for the Yankees. He is only one-game over .500 on a team that is 26 games over .500. He has lost his last three decisions against playoff contenders. Getting away from the Bronx may be just what Vazquez needs. The Yankees are 5-1 in his last six road starts.

Lee has not exactly lit the world on fire since coming over to Texas from Seattle in early July. He is 2-2 with his new team but that can hardly be blamed on him. The Rangers have only given Lee 15 runs of support in six starts. Lee has gone the distance four times in his six starts with Texas and has pitched at least eight innings in 10 consecutive starts. He faced New York once this year when he was with Seattle. Lee pitched a complete game, allowing three earned runs in a 7-4 Mariners win.

Yankees vs. Rangers Betting Odds
Texas is favored at -160 with the New York Yankees priced at +140. The total is 8 with the ‘over’ listed at -120. Lines are courtesy of Sportsbook.com.

Yankees vs. Rangers Betting Trends
The Yankees are 14-5 in their last 19 road games
The Yankees are 5-1 in Vazquez’s last six road starts
‘Under’ is 7-1-1 in the Rangers last nine home games
‘Under’ is 6-0 in Lees last six starts overall
‘Under’ is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the Yankees and Texas in Texas

Yankees vs. Rangers Picks and Predictions
Tuesday’s game had a playoff-like atmosphere for a franchise that has been postseason starved in recent history. You can expect another similar atmosphere tonight and the veteran Lee has thrived in these situations while Vazquez has struggled on the big stage.

The lack of run support for Lee is puzzling, but the Rangers’ bats showed signs of life in Game 1 of the series against New York. With the way Lee has been pitching lately, there may not be many more times to have him at a low price like –160. The value is with Lee and the Rangers.

Jason Sharpe is the newest member of Doc’s Sports Advisory Board, but he is not new to the sports betting scene, as he has made a living in Las Vegas for several years betting sports as a Wise Guy. For his baseball picks, 9 o14 winning nights and he is looking for more on Wednesday. If you are interested in baseball betting, this is one guy you don’t want to miss. Also, check Doc’s Sports homepage each day for exclusive baseball betting articles, current baseball lines and matchup reports to boot!