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The Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. EST. The game takes place at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida and will be available to watch on ESPN+. The Marlins will start Pablo Lopez, while the Rangers are projected to have Jon Gray on the hill.
Miami looked to be going into the All-Star break with good vibes, having won 10 of their last 17 games. But then a series against the Philadelphia Phillies to close out the opening half robbed them of their momentum, getting swept in the three-game set. Lopez has been tremendous through 18 starts in 2022 and allowed 1 run over 5 innings of work in both of his last two outings heading into the break.
Texas has struggled on a more consistent basis heading into the All-Star break. The Rangers have won just seven of their last 20 games and just 12 of their last 30. They come into this matchup having lost four straight and five of their last six. Gray is probably their best bet to get off to a hot start Thursday, boasting just a 3.71 ERA on the season and having allowed just 10 earned runs in his last 43.2 innings pitched.
Rangers vs. Marlins
Pitchers: Pablo Lopez vs. Jon Gray
First pitch: 1:10 p.m.
Rangers local broadcast: Bally Sports Southwest
Marlins local broadcast: Bally Sports Florida
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app with an ESPN+ subscription
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Rangers -1.5 (+175)
Run total: 7
Moneyline odds: Marlins -115, Rangers -105
Moneyline pick: Rangers -105
There is not a significant edge on the mound in Thursday afternoon’s matchup, as both starters have put together strong starts to their 2022 season. These are also a couple of similar offenses, which is why oddsmakers suggest it could go either way, but the Rangers have slightly better numbers at the plate. Texas ranks No. 11 in runs per game (4.5), while Miami ranks No. 24 with 4.1 runs per game this season.
Player prop pick: Pablo Lopez Over 5.5 strikeouts (-125)
The Marlins starter has seen a slight dip in his strikeout numbers with an 8.7 K/9, coming off a 2021 season when he finished at 10.1 in that category. The Rangers strike out 8.7 times per game, which is the 11th most in the MLB. Lopez should have his best stuff ready out of the break.
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