Sunday, April 6, 1:40 PM on FSSW, SUN

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

Texas - Scheppers, T (0-0) vs. Tampa Bay - Cobb, A (0-1)

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

On Sunday afternoon, the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays will play an early afternoon game with a pitching matchup featuring 27-year-old Tanner Scheppers against 26-year-old Alex Cobb. These young pitchers could be the future of their respective teams pitching rotations and will get a solid early season test to end the weekend. Scheppers will be making just his second career start, while Cobb will be making his second start this season after making 22 a year ago.

Scheppers is getting an opportunity to start this season for the first time in his career after spending the first two seasons of his professional career pitching out of the bullpen. He had a solid 2013 season in the bullpen, going 6-2 with a 1.88 ERA, 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings, 1.070 WHIP and 11 games finished. He doesn't have a lot of experience against the Rays, but has held those players he has faced to a 0-for-11 mark with just one base runner via a walk.  

His counterpart from Tampa Bay has had more experience against his opponent, but the current Rangers collectively have a .313 average with one home run, six RBIs and a .840 OPS. New Ranger Shin-Soo Choo is 4-for-5 in his career against Cobb, while Alex Rios is 3-for-7 and Prince Fielder is 2-for-5. The only current Ranger with a home run against Cobb is Mitch Moreland.

Texas Betting Trends

Texas is 1-2-0 against the Over/Under

Run differential for Texas is -0.7

Tampa Bay Betting Trends

Tampa Bay is 2-2-0 against the Over/Under

Run differential for Tampa Bay is +1.8

Injuries to Watch

Texas 

03/31/14 P Yu Darvish Neck 15-day DL (3/21), expected to be activated & start Sunday
03/31/14 C Geovany Soto Knee 60-day DL (3/30)
03/31/14 2B Jurickson Profar Shoulder 15-day DL (3/23)
03/31/14 P Matt Harrison Back 15-day DL (3/29)
03/28/14 P Derek Holland Knee 60-day DL (3/3)
03/28/14 RF Engel Beltre Leg 60-day DL (3/26)
03/28/14 P Joe Ortiz Foot 60-day DL (2/14)

Tampa Bay 

04/04/14 RF Wil Myers Flu questionable
03/30/14 P Juan Oviedo Elbow 15-day DL (3/30)
03/30/14 2B Tim Beckham Knee 15-day DL (3/30)
03/28/14 P Jeremy Hellickson Elbow 15-day DL (3/30)

Josh's Pick: Take Texas

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