Rangers vs Athletics Game Time – 4/22/2025

Texas Rangers

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Athletics

As the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics prepare for their matchup on April 22, 2025, both teams are looking to rebound from disappointing performances in their last outings. The Rangers had a narrow loss to the Los Angeles Angels, falling 1-0, while the Athletics suffered an overwhelming defeat against the New York Yankees, losing 14-1. This game marks the beginning of a new series, and it’s crucial for both teams as they vie for better positions in the competitive American League West.

The Athletics currently hold a record of 10-12, which is below average, while the Rangers sit at a respectable 13-9, showcasing a solid start to the season. Oakland’s offense ranks as the 9th best in MLB, bolstered by a strong top hitter who has excelled recently with a .360 batting average and a 1.047 OPS over the last week. Meanwhile, the Rangers’ offense struggles, ranked 26th overall and lacking the firepower to consistently capitalize on scoring opportunities.

On the mound, the Athletics will start Osvaldo Bido, whose advanced stats paint a mixed picture. Although he boasts an impressive 2.61 ERA, his 5.35 xFIP suggests he may have been somewhat fortunate thus far. He is projected to pitch around 4.9 innings and allow approximately 3.0 earned runs, which adds pressure to an Athletics bullpen ranked 18th in the league. Conversely, Patrick Corbin of the Rangers is not much better, with his own 3.86 ERA, yet he faces an Athletics offense that is among the least strikeout-prone, potentially enabling him to find some success.

With the Athletics holding a moneyline of -125, they’re favored in this matchup, suggesting they have a slight edge over the Rangers. However, given the offensive discrepancies and the projections, this game could be much closer than the odds suggest.

Texas Rangers Insights

• Texas Rangers – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (+110)
  Patrick Corbin is an extreme groundball pitcher (44.3% GB% via the leading projection system, THE BAT), which should make him somewhat immune to the dangers of pitching in Sutter Health Park — the #9 HR venue in Major League Baseball — in this game.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-expected performance.
• Josh H. Smith – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-210/+160)
  Josh Smith has primarily hit in the back-half of the batting order this year (67% of the time), but he is projected to bat 1st in the lineup in this matchup.
  Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
• Josh Jung – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-195/+150)
  Today, Josh Jung is at a disadvantage facing the league’s 11th-deepest CF center field fences given that he hits his flyballs towards center field at a 41.2% rate (100th percentile).
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Athletics Insights

• Osvaldo Bido – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+115/-145)
  With 6 bats who share his handedness in the opposing team’s projected batting order, Osvaldo Bido figures to benefit from holding the platoon advantage in most plate appearances in today’s outing.
  Explain: Right-handed pitchers perform better against right-handed hitters (and the same for lefties). Having this advantage against a lot of opposing hitters can have a huge impact on whether a pitcher will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• JJ Bleday – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+140/-180)
  JJ Bleday’s exit velocity on flyballs has dropped off this year; his 90.9-mph EV last season has decreased to 87.5-mph.
  Explain: Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.
• Rating 3rd-highest in baseball this year, Athletics batters as a group have put up a 19.9° launch angle on their hardest-contacted balls (a reliable standard to measure power skills).
  Explain: If you hit the ball hard but straight at the ground, it doesn’t do you any good. A player that is skilled at lifting his hardest hit balls into the air stands the best chance of turning them into extra-base hits or home runs.

Betting Trends

• Over/Under 10.0 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Athletics have hit the Game Total Over in 10 of their last 18 games (+4.45 Units / 22% ROI)
• Texas Rangers – Over/Under 4.5 Team Total (-135/+105)
  The Texas Rangers have hit the Team Total Under in 14 of their last 21 games (+6.00 Units / 24% ROI)
• Joc Pederson – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-160/+125)
  Joc Pederson has hit the Hits Under in 13 of his last 15 games (+13.30 Units / 88% ROI)