Rangers vs Rays: Game 3 prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Texas Rangers are on the road to face the Tampa Bay Rays in their final meeting this season. The Rangers swept the Rays in the reverse fixture in April; however, they now face a similar situation after Tampa Bay won the first two games at George Steinbrenner Field.

Heading into the series, Texas had lost three of its last four series. It has a poor 9-29 away record this season. The Rangers are third in the AL West, while the Rays are second in the AL East at 32-29 record. They are unbeaten in their last four series.

Rangers vs. Rays Game 3: Betting odds & weather

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 7:35 p.m. ET

Money Line: Rays -146

Over/Under: Under 9 runs

Weather: Rainy, 86 degrees F, 46% chance of precipitation, wind 6 mph out

Rangers vs. Rays Game 3: Injuries & lineups

Injuries

Rangers

Nathan Eovaldi: 15-day IL (tricep),
Joc Pederson: 10-day IL (hand),
Chris Martin: 15-day IL (shoulder),
Cody Bradford: 60-day IL (elbow),
Jon Gray: 60-day IL (wrist),
Josh Sborz: 60-day IL (shoulder)

Rays

Jonny Deluca: 60-day IL (shoulder),
Ha-Seong Kim: 60-day IL (shoulder),
Hunter Bigge: 15-day IL (lat),
Shane McClanahan: 60-day IL (tricep),
Richie Palacios: 10-day IL (knee),
Alex Faedo: 60-day IL (shoulder),
Nathan Lavender: 60-day IL (elbow)

Expected lineups

Rangers

DH Josh Smith (L)
LF W. Langford (R)
SS Corey Seager (L)
3B Josh Jung (R)
CF Evan Carter (L)
2B M. Semien (R)
RF A. Garcia (R)
1B Jake Burger (R)
C Jonah Heim (S)

Rays

RF Josh Lowe (L)
2B Brandon Lowe (L)
DH Yandy Diaz (R)
1B J. Aranda (L)
3B J. Caminero (R)
LF Jake Mangum (S)
CF K. Misner (L)
SS J. Caballero (R)
C Danny Jansen (R)

Rangers vs. Rays Game 3: Prediction and picks

Rangers' Jack Leiter (4-2, 3.66 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 36 strikeouts) takes on Rays' Ryan Pepiot (3-5, 3.21 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 56 strikeouts) in the starter matchup. It should be a close call as both pitchers have similar stats. However, Pepiot hasn't earned a run in 13.2 innings of pitching in his last two starts.

Brandon Lowe hit a homer and an RBI double on Wednesday in Game 2 that helped his team earn the win. It was part of a good stretch of form as he is hitting .273 in the last five games. Junio Caminero continues to lead Tampa Bay in home runs (14) and runs batted in (38).

Wyatt Langford's late heroics almost spoilled the fun for Tampa Bay. Texas batters also hit two clutch RBIs in Game 2. However, the Rangers have a poor batting rate, averaging just .209 as a team in their last 10 games.

Prediction: Rays 4, Rangers 3

Picks: Rays -146, Under 9 runs

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

Know More

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez

Rangers vs Rays: Game 3 prediction, odds, injuries and picks - June 5, 2025

Rangers vs. Rays Game 3: Betting odds & weather

Rangers vs. Rays Game 3: Injuries & lineups

Injuries

Rangers

Rays

Expected lineups

Rangers

Rays

Rangers vs. Rays Game 3: Prediction and picks