Oakland Athletics vs Texas Rangers Picks and Predictions September 24th 2024

At 9:40 PM ET, the Athletics and Rangers face off in an AL West matchup. This one is being played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, and the Athletics are slight home favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at +102 compared to the Rangers at -120. The over/under line is currently 7.5 runs.

Both of these teams are well out of the playoff race, as the Rangers are 3rd in the AL West with a record of 74-82, while the Athletics are 4th at 67-89. Nathan Eovaldi will start for the Rangers, while the Athletics are going with Mitch Spence. BSSW is carrying this one on TV.

Texas vs. Oakland Key Information

• Teams: Rangers at Athletics
• Where: Oakland Coliseum Oakland
• Date: Tuesday, September 24th
• Betting Odds TEX -120 | OAK +102 O/U 7.5

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi gets the start for the Rangers today as he faces the Athletics on the road. Eovaldi has made 27 starts this year and has a record of 11-8 with a 3.96 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Eovaldi has a WHIP of 1.13 and has allowed a total of 23 home runs. One of his strengths has been limiting walks, as he is averaging just 2.18 per nine innings compared to 8.85 strikeouts. Eovaldi’s last outing came against the Blue Jays, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts.

Adolis Garcia comes into the game as the Rangers’ top home run hitter this season, but he is batting just .219 this season. Garcia’s 80 RBIs are the most on the team. Corey Seager has also been a big run producer for the Rangers, as he is 2nd on the team with 74 RBIs and has 30 homers, which is the best mark on the team and 11th in the MLB. Seager is also batting .278 this season.

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Leody Taveras and Wyatt Langford have both been swinging the bat well for the Rangers of late, with Taveras going 10/29 in his last nine games and Langford going 9/31 with three homers in that stretch. Josh Smith is also on a six-game hitting streak for the Rangers.

Mitch Spence gets the start for the Athletics today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. Against the Cubs on September 17th, he went 5 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, and 6 hits. Looking back further, Spence has finished with a no-decision in three straight outings. He has made 22 starts this year and has a record of 8-9, along with a 4.30 ERA. Spence’s WHIP for the season is 1.36, and opponents are batting .259 off the right-hander this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.52 strikeouts and 2.66 walks.

The Athletics offense has been one of the best home run hitting teams in the league this season, but they are batting just .234 as a team and are 26th in the league in runs scored. As a team, they are averaging 4 runs per game, which is 26th in the MLB. One of the few bright spots in their lineup has been Brent Rooker, who is batting .296 for the season and has gone 10/37 with two homers over his last nine games.

Shea Langeliers is batting just .224 for the season, but he has gone 8/30 with three homers in his last nine games. Langeliers is also on a five-game hitting streak. Overall, he is 2nd on the team with 28 homers. Langeliers’ 75 RBIs are 2nd on the team, behind Rooker’s 110.

Our projections have this Rangers vs. Athletics matchup as the 4th lowest-scoring game of the day, but with the line sitting at 7.5 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we like the Athletics to come out on top. Oakland’s offense is our 5th highest-rated home run-hitting team in today’s slate of games, and Mitch Spence has the 4th best hits allowed projection among today’s starters.

A’s Open Farewell Series in Oakland vs. Rangers

The Oakland Athletics will begin their final home series of the 2024 season on Tuesday, as they face the Texas Rangers in what will be a three-day celebration of the team’s 57 years in Oakland. This final series marks the last time the A’s will play at the Oakland Coliseum before their scheduled relocation to Las Vegas in 2028. For the next three seasons, the team will play home games in Sacramento, Calif., at Sutter Health Park.

Big crowds are expected as fans join in to bid farewell to the franchise’s long history in Oakland. Thursday’s finale, already a sellout, has many fans pushing for the reopening of “Mt. Davis,” the 20,000-seat upper deck constructed for the former NFL team, the Oakland Raiders.

A’s Enter Final Series After Tough Stretch

The Athletics head into this emotional series after a disappointing three-game sweep by the New York Yankees. Despite the losses, the weekend saw a surge in attendance, as Oakland’s third-, sixth-, and seventh-largest crowds of the season came out to see Yankees star Aaron Judge, a Northern California native, who hit home runs on both Saturday and Sunday.

The A’s have performed better this season than last, improving their record to 67-89 after winning just 50 games in 2023. However, they’re currently on a three-game skid, with the Texas Rangers having previously taken three of four games from them in Oakland earlier this year.

Oakland manager Mark Kotsay, a former player for the A’s from 2004-07, expressed his anticipation for Thursday’s finale, saying,

“People have asked, ‘What are you going to feel or what’s the emotion going to be like?’ Until I go through it on Thursday, I really won’t be able to give you an honest answer. There’s going to be a lot of emotion.”

A’s Rookie Mitch Spence to Start in Opener

The A’s will turn to right-hander Mitch Spence (8-9, 4.30 ERA) to kick off the final series in Oakland. Spence has been in solid form recently, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA over his past five starts, during which he has allowed just eight runs across 26 2/3 innings. His recent stretch included a five-inning start against Texas on Sept. 1, where he gave up two runs. Spence is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two appearances against the Rangers this season.

Former A’s Players Return with the Rangers

The visiting Rangers will bring back familiar faces to Oakland. Three current Texas players, catcher Jonah Heim, infielder Marcus Semien, and lefty reliever Andrew Chafin, all previously played for the A’s. Semien, in particular, had a significant impact during his six years as Oakland’s shortstop, finishing third in American League MVP voting in 2019.

Reflecting on his time in Oakland, Semien said, “I’m going to miss playing here. This is one of my favorite places to play. Obviously, I was a home player here, but coming back here I know my parents can be here, my siblings. My family always comes back for this trip, too. … I’ll never forget this place.”

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Rangers Send Nathan Eovaldi to the Mound

The Rangers will send right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (11-8, 3.96 ERA) to the mound for his 13th career start against the Athletics. Eovaldi has enjoyed success pitching at the Oakland Coliseum, going 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA in six starts at the venue. Overall, he holds a 3-2 record with a 2.75 ERA in his career against the A’s.