A key battle on the MLB odds menu sees visiting Texas duelling Oakland on Friday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

C.J. Wilson, with a record of 3-0 on the season, gets the ball for the Rangers, while the Athletics trot Trevor Cahill to the mound in this one. He is 3-0 so far in 2011.



View Texas vs Oakland Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook MLB line for this matchup, Oakland sat as -120 favorites. The total was set at 7.

Power Rankings:
The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Athletics at No. 11 in the American League and the Rangers at No. 2 in the American League heading into this contest.



How They Match Up:
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Oakland has the American League's No. 13-rated offensive output, at 8 hits per game. The Rangers average 8.6 hits per game, good for No. 5 on the American League list.

Oakland owns the American League's No. 1 defense, allowing 3.3 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Texas' American League No. 6-rated defense.

Texas was a 5-2 loser in its last match at home against the Blue Jays. They lost as -139 favorites, while the total score of 7 made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Texas looks to rebound from a loss to the Blue Jays, who beat them 5-2 on Thursday behind a start from Brandon Morrow at Rangers Ballpark.

In their last action, Oakland was a 2-1 Sportsbook on the road against the Angels. Bettors on Oakland at +152 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (3) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Oakland won a close affair on Wednesday in their last outing, defeating Los Angeles 2-1 in extra innings at Angel Stadium.


Texas Rangers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Oakland are 6-4
After playing Toronto are 5-5
After a loss are 5-5

Oakland Athletics Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Texas are 4-6
After playing LA Angels are 6-4
After a win are 5-5

A few Rangers at Athletics trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas' last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas' last 7 games on the road
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home


Next up:
Texas at Oakland, Saturday, April 30