The Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics continue a crucial three-game series this Tuesday night at the Oakland County Coliseum in a showdown that will have a major impact on a tight AL West title race. Game 2 of this divisional clash is set to get underway at 10:05 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on MLB Extra Innings.

The Rangers’ lead over Oakland was down to one game heading into Monday’s series opener after losing two of three games to Minnesota at home this past weekend. This followed a three-game sweep of Seattle last week on the road, and they are now 6-4 in their last 10 games. Overall, Texas is 79-57 with a road record of 40-28.

Oakland’s 5-1 victory on Sunday as a -132 home favorite completed a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay. It outscored the Rays by a combined score of 11-5 in the three wins. The Athletics are now 7-3 in their last 10 games with an overall record of 78-58. They are 42-25 at home this season.

Rangers at Athletics Betting Storylines

Texas is ranked fifth in the American League in hitting with a team batting average of .263, and it is averaging 4.5 runs a game. However, the team has exceeded that number only twice in its last eight games. Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz have led the way most of the year with a combined 158 RBI and 55 home runs. However, with Cruz suspended for the rest of the season, the Rangers have gotten some solid production from Ian Kinsler and AJ Pierzynski to help fill the void.

Pitching has remained fairly solid as Texas is still ranked second in the AL with a team ERA of 3.62. It will send Martin Perez to the mound as Tuesday’s starter. The left-hander is 8-3 this season with a 3.58 ERA. He remained perfect through the month of August with a 5-0 record in five starts. His ERA over this stretch was an impressive 3.06. Perez is 1-2 against the A’s lifetime with a less-than-stellar 9.90 ERA.

Oakland comes into this game ranked right behind Texas in the AL in scoring with an average of 4.5 runs a game. The big bats in this lineup have been Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss. Donaldson leads the team in RBI with 77 while belting 19 home runs. Moss is second with 69 RBI and 25 home runs. As a whole the Athletics are hitting .247 on the year.

Look for Bartolo Colon to get the start for Oakland in this contest. He is 14-5 on the year with an ERA of 2.94. The right-hander looked sharp against Detroit in his last start by scattering seven hits over five innings of work. This followed a short stint on the DL due to a strained groin. Over the course of his career, Colon is 17-6 against the Rangers with a 3.75 ERA.

Rangers at Athletics MLB Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline has opened the Rangers as +131 road underdogs for Tuesday night’s game with Oakland listed as a -141 home favorite. The total has been set at 7.5.

The Rangers are 18-7 in their last 15 games and 12-2 in their last 14 games on the road. The total has “under” in their last three games.

The Athletics are 5-2 in their last seven home games and 6-1 in their last seven games overall. The total has gone “over” in six of their last eight outings.

Head-to-head in this series, Texas has won four of the last five meetings in Oakland, and the total has stayed under in three of the last four games overall.

Baseball Picks: Rangers vs. Athletics Predictions

Both these teams know how to put the ball in play, but this matchup is going to come down to which starter has his best stuff. Both pitchers have been able to last deep into the game in the majority of their starts, but the edge for Tuesday night goes to Colon. Other than a couple of shaky outings before going on the DL, he has shown excellent control all season long. While I would not rule out a play on the under in this contest, my pick on the side is definitely Oakland.

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