Can the Athletics Defy the Odds Against Rangers? Expert Picks and Pitcher Showdown Revealed for May 1!

The calendar flips to Thursday, May 1, 2025, and here we find the Athletics and Rangers locked in a pretty intriguing deadlock—both sitting at 16-15 as they battle it out in Arlington. Jeffrey Springs is tagged to toe the rubber for Oakland, while Tyler Mahle takes the reins for Texas, setting the stage for what could be a compelling duel on the mound. After the A’s stomped on the Rangers 7-1 yesterday, seizing a 2-1 edge in the series, today’s game carries the weight of a potential clincher. This matchup has been anything but predictable—scores swinging from tight to downright lopsided with results of 2-1, 15-2, and that last 7-1 blowout—keeping fans on their toes and the bullpen busy.

Now, it’s time to really dig into what this contest could throw our way. I’m talking lineups, the latest odds, pitching matchups, performance metrics, and yes—those all-important predictions and best bets, crafted with help from our sharp-eyed experts and high-powered analytics. Whether you’re chasing fantasy points or just love the thrill of a well-placed wager, this preview has you covered. Plus, for those wanting the freshest updates, Rotoworld Player News remains the go-to source for all the fantasy and betting intel you could possibly need throughout the season.

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It’s Thursday, May 1 and the Athletics (16-15) are in Arlington to take on the Rangers (16-15). Jeffrey Springs is slated to take the mound for the A’s against Tyler Mahle for Texas.

The Athletics won 7-1 yesterday to take a 2-1 series lead with a chance to win the series today. This series has seen a little bit of everything with scores of 2-1, 15-2, and 7-1.

Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Game details & how to watch Athletics at Rangers

• Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
• Time: 2:35 PM EST
• Site: Globe Life Field
• City: Arlington, TX
• Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, RSN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Athletics at the Rangers

The latest odds as of Thursday:

• Moneyline: Athletics (+134), Rangers (-159)
• Spread: Rangers -1.5
• Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Rangers

• Pitching matchup for May 1, 2025: Jeffrey Springs vs. Tyler Mahle
  • Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, (3-3, 6.04 ERA)
    Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
  • Rangers: Tyler Mahle, (3-0, 1.14 ERA)
    Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 1 Strikeout

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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Athletics and the Rangers

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Athletics ML:

“The A’s have a chance to win the series today and are decent underdogs of +130 or better at most places. Springs is coming off his worst start, and with a chance for the Rangers to split the series, most of the money and handle will come in on Texas.

The Rangers have lost Mahle’s last two starts and scored two total runs in those games. Mahle himself had five strikeouts, four walks, and 10 hits allowed (two earned runs). The A’s are pesky and could win the series, so I’d take the plus-money dog or the +1.5.”

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s game between the Athletics and the Rangers:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Texas Rangers on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oakland Athletics at +1.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Rangers

• The Athletics have lost eight of their 15 games following a win this season
• The total runs line has ticked over in just one of the Rangers’ last five matches in MLB
• The Rangers have covered the run line in four of their last five games, showing a profit of 1.64 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)