Predicting how the Texas Rangers final 70 games of the season will shakeout

The Texas Rangers kicked off the back half of their schedule with an explosive 12-4 win over the Cleveland Guardians Friday night. That certainly set the tone for some good things ahead after a first half that brought a lot of optimism to Arlington. But aside from that, there is a lot to anticipate and still a lot to be decided with the remaining slate of games. So, what should we expect?

Remaining home schedule for the Texas Rangers

Of the now 70 remaining games, exactly half will take place at Globe Life Field, while the other 35 will be on the road. Of the 35 final home games, 24 will take place against teams playing .500 or better at the printing of this story. That alone is a pretty daunting home itinerary. But digging a little bit deeper, we see that only 18 of those games will come against teams that have a winning record on the road. Perhaps that can help us feel a little better, but let's also keep in mind that 12 of those games will be against teams either currently in first place or tied for it.

Home game prediction: 21 wins, 14 losses

Remaining road schedule for the Texas Rangers

Now turning to the road, things look equally interesting. Of the 35 road games schedule between July 15 and October 1, the Rangers will play 32 games against teams with a .500 record or better while playing at home. Now, it's worth pointing out that this Texas team has played solidly on the road, to the tune of a 25-21 record. However, the only series against a team that currently holds a sub-.500 record in their own ballpark that remains on the schedule, is against the Oakland Athletics August 7-9.

On the flip side of that argument though, is the point that only four of the final 35 games on the road for the Rangers will take place against a team that currently sits in, or is tied for, first place. Those four games come against the Minnesota Twins between August 24-27. Of course, that same Twins team currently holds a 46-46 record and has seemingly struggled all season to stay above the .500 mark.

Road game prediction: 19 wins, 16 losses

What This All Means for the Texas Rangers

It's no secret the Texas Rangers kind of stumbled into the All-Star break. They started July off with a meager 3-6 record. One can only hope Friday night's flexing of the lineup's collective muscles will spark a stretch like they had from the end of May through early June. And with the Astros nipping at their heels just two games behind, it couldn't happen at a better time.

Total Prediction: 40 wins, 30 losses to end the season at 93-69