Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves Picks and Prediction for Saturday, July 18, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Texas Rangers visit the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at 4:10 PM ET at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Texas is 49-47 and leads the AL West after splitting its final five games before the All-Star break. Atlanta is 55-40 and leads the NL East after winning three of its last five games. ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Braves a 59.7% chance to win the series opener. Build your bankroll with our free MLB picks.
Texas Rangers Looking to Stay Above .500
The Rangers are batting .245 with 399 runs, 783 hits, 109 home runs, a .320 on-base percentage, and a .399 slugging percentage. Josh Jung leads the lineup with a .298 batting average and 100 hits, while Jake Burger has club highs with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs. Ezequiel Duran has driven in 50 runs, and Wyatt Langford has added nine home runs with a .494 slugging percentage. Texas ranks 12th in MLB in team batting average and has enough power to stay competitive against quality pitching.
Texas owns a 4.13 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP while holding opponents to a .241 batting average. The Rangers have recorded 817 strikeouts and rank 13th in MLB in team ERA. Gore has provided plenty of strikeouts this season, and Texas will look for another quality outing from its left-hander.
Injuries: Jakob Junis, Carter Baumler, Jacob deGrom, Danny Jansen, Jordan Montgomery.
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Atlanta Braves Looking to Protect First Place
Atlanta is batting .246 with 460 runs, 795 hits, 121 home runs, a .313 on-base percentage, and a .409 slugging percentage. Matt Olson leads the Braves with 25 home runs and 58 RBIs, while Michael Harris II is batting .296 with 99 hits. Ozzie Albies has contributed 14 home runs, and Drake Baldwin has added 15 home runs with a .345 on-base percentage. Atlanta ranks 11th in MLB in team batting average and continues to get production throughout its lineup.
The Braves pitching staff has posted a 3.60 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .228 batting average. Atlanta has recorded 804 strikeouts and ranks fifth in MLB in ERA. The combination of strong pitching and consistent run production has helped the Braves remain atop the NL East.
Injuries: Ronald Acuna Jr., Ha-Seong Kim, Sean Murphy, Martin Perez, Mike Yastrzemski.
Pitching Matchup
Texas Rangers – MacKenzie Gore
Gore is 5-8 with a 4.63 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP across 105.0 innings. He has allowed 94 hits, 12 home runs, and 41 walks while striking out 115 batters. Gore's ability to miss bats gives Texas a chance to stay in the game against Atlanta's lineup.
Atlanta Braves – Owen Murphy
Murphy is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.25 WHIP through 4.0 innings. He has allowed one hit while striking out four batters without issuing a walk. Although his workload has been limited, Murphy made a strong impression in his first outing.
Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves Game Pick
- Atlanta Braves
Atlanta has the edge with one of the better pitching staffs in baseball and a lineup led by Olson and Harris. The Braves also rank fifth in MLB in ERA while playing well at home this season. Their balanced offense gives them another advantage against a Texas pitching staff that has been less consistent. Atlanta's combination of pitching and lineup depth makes the division leaders the better play in this matchup.
Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves Over/Under Pick
- Under
Atlanta enters the game with the fifth-ranked ERA in MLB, while Texas ranks 13th and has kept opponents to a .241 batting average. Gore has strikeout potential, and Murphy looked sharp in his first appearance of the season. Strong pitching on both sides should help keep scoring in check for most of the afternoon. Both teams have enough pitching depth to keep this matchup from turning into a high-scoring game and help the under to cash.
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