Sports Betting Overview The Cleveland Indians keep getting involved in losing streaks that have hampered its chances of winning the AL Central pennant. However, even with all of the problems the Indians have been having, the team is only three games out of first place in the division. The Indians have lost six of their last 10 games, but they come into this series against the Texas Rangers after winning the last game of their series with the Boston Red Sox. The Indians go from one division leader to another in the AL, but Cleveland knows that if it wants to compete for a playoff spot then it has to start beating the better teams in baseball. The MLB baseball betting crowd is impressed that the Indians have stayed in the race this long. The Cleveland fans would love to see the Indians back in first place in the AL Central. The Texas Rangers are having a hard time shaking the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the AL West. The Rangers are also on a stretch where they have won only four of their last 10 games. The Angels have pulled to within one game of the Rangers in the standings, and Los Angeles has a series with the cellar-dwelling Seattle Mariners this weekend. That makes this battle between division leaders the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers not only exciting to watch, but it also makes the series very important for the Texas Rangers if they want to maintain their lead in the AL West. Cleveland Indians Fausto Carmona takes the mound for the Indians, and he has a score to settle with the Texas Rangers. The last time Carmona faced the Rangers was on June 4th, and the MLB highlights went decidedly to the side of the Rangers. Carmona pitched six and one-third innings but gave up four runs on seven hits before being pulled. Carmona is having a rough season in general as his 5-11 record and 5.31 season ERA will show. It is production from pitchers like Carmona that will get the Indians back into the AL Central pennant race. The Rangers have been struggling at the plate, and this could be the game that Carmona uses to get into a groove for the rest of the 2011 season. Texas Rangers C.J. Wilson takes the mound for the Rangers, and this Texas ace has struggled his past two starts. Wilson is 0-1 in his last two starts and he has given up a total of 10 runs on 14 hits in a combined seven and two-thirds innings pitched. Wilson is 10-5 on the season with an ERA of 3.37 and has been one of the catalysts to the Rangers’ push for a repeat of winning the AL West pennant. The Indians seemed to find their swing against the Red Sox, and that may be problems for a struggling Wilson. The Bottom Line A betonline review of this game shows that the Rangers are vulnerable and the Indians are coming in with some confidence. If the Indians want to catch the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, the team will have to win this series against the Rangers. The conditions leading into this game give the Indians the best chance it will have to beat C.J. Wilson and the Rangers. Pick: Cleveland Indians
