The Yankees and Rangers are both coming off series losses, heading into the opener of this four-game weekend series in Arlington Thursday night. Gerrit Cole, already 4-0 on the season, gets the call for New York here against lefty and former Yankee Andrew Heaney for Texas.

How are we playing this game with our free baseball betting pick?

MLB Betting Odds

Thursday’s baseball betting market opened New York and Cole at around -155 over Texas and Heaney, with an over/under of eight runs. Early betting action then bumped the Yankees a dime to -165.

Yankees-Rangers Betting Preview

New York just lost two of three games at Minnesota, avoiding the sweep by winning Wednesday’s series finale 12-6. Just before that the Yankees lost two of three at home to Toronto. So the Yanks are 0-2 over their last two series and 2-4 over their last six games.

At 14-11 overall New York sits in fourth place in the AL East, six games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Texas, meanwhile, just got swept three games at Cincinnati, losing Wednesday’s series finale 5-3 on a Reds walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. The Rangers blew a four-run lead on Monday to lose, then blew a six-run lead on Tuesday and lost.

But just before that Texas took two of three games from Oakland, and just before that it swept three games from Kansas City. Going back a bit further the Rangers are 4-1 over their last five series and 10-6 over their last 16 games.
At 14-10 overall Texas leads the AL West by a half-game over second-place Houston.

Last year the Yankees took the season series from the Rangers four games to three.

Thursday's Pitching Match-Up

Heaney is only 1/4 on quality starts this season but he’s been good as of late. Last Saturday he held Oakland to two runs and five hits through six innings of an 18-3 Texas victory. And over his last three outings he’s allowed just three runs - two earned - and nine hits through 16 innings, with seven walks against 18 strikeouts.

The Rangers are 3-1 with Heaney this season, and that’s what they should be, based on his performances.

This will be Heaney’s first start against the Yankees since 2019, which is a long time ago.

Cole is 4/5 on quality starts this year, off to a great start. Last Saturday he held the Blue Jays scoreless on four hits through 5 2/3 innings - one out short of a QS - in a 3-2 New York win. And on the season he’s allowed just three ER and 17 hits through 34 innings, with 10 walks against 36 whiffs.

The Yankees are 5-0 with Cole this year, after going 21-12 with him last year.

Over two starts against Texas last season Cole allowed three ER and 11 hits through 12 1/3 innings, with one walk and 19 K’s. The Yanks split those two games while both games played under their totals.

Splits With the Sticks

New York is batting just .200 against left-handed pitching this season, with a .335 team OBP and a .309 team slugging percentage. Numbers like those lead us to rank this line-up among the bottom half-dozen in Baseball in this split at the moment.

Texas is slashing .264/.344/.455 against right-handed pitching. Numbers like those lead us to rate this line-up among the top three or four in Baseball in this split.

The Bullpens

The Rangers bullpen owns a 3.49 ERA this season, along with a 1.14 WHIP and a 2.47 K/BB ratio.

The Yankees pen owns a 2.53 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and a 2.65 K/BB ratio.

MLB Betting Trends

New York is 5-4 on the road this season but 2-3 against left-handed starters.

Texas is 8-4 at home and 11-7 against right-handed starters.

New York is 4-1 against the run line with Cole this season.

Totals Report

The unders are 16-9 in Yankees games this season.

The overs are 16-8 in Rangers games.

The overs are 8-4 at Globe Life Field this season.