October chugs along as the World Series gets underway on Friday night from Texas. Philadelphia squandered a 3-2 series lead in the NLCS as Arizona came back to punch their ticket to the World Series. Texas gets home-field advantage for Game 1. VegasBetting continues the week with Diamondbacks vs Rangers Best Bets including some thoughts on what may happen.
Who wins Game 1 on Friday night? Will it be Texas or Arizona?
Arizona and Texas win in seventh heaven. Now, that is correct. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers both had to go the distance to advance to the World Series. Arizona defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 7, while Texas erupted again for 11 runs in an 11-4 triumph. It was rare to see both teams win two games on the road in order to move on. Yet, that is exactly what just happened.
Philadelphia losing twice the way they did, and then Houston losing all four games at home was truly unprecedented. Everything about this postseason has been a little south of sanity. It makes almost poetic sense to see two of the most unexpected teams at this final stage of the postseason. At the very least, predictions will be spicy, like the heat from Texas BBQ to some Arizona breakfast burritos.
MLB Playoffs odds know this is the only game in town now, and it begins Friday night.
Arizona and Texas enjoy a few more days basking in the World Series. Can the Diamondbacks strike first or will Texas figure out how to win at home? Hey, it’s been a little while.
Alright, BetOnline and their timely online Sportsbook review give the underdog their due for Friday night. Arizona appears to be hovering between +130 and around +150. BetOnline listed them at +151 as of very early Wednesday morning. Texas has not won a home game since the ALDS. Someone is going to take home that cherished MLB trophy early next week. Let us get to work.
Diamondbacks vs Rangers Best Bets for Friday get renewed at the idea of two different teams battling for the World Series crown. Tentative Game 1 starters were named pretty quickly. For what it is worth, there will be no props here as we try to keep things simple. After all, these are way too early numbers, as there are still more than 48 hours until the series opener.
VegasBetting became pumped early for this unexpected clash. Did anyone have either Arizona or Texas in their World Series choices at the start of the season? This figures to be quite a fun study in contrasts. Even the Game 1 starters (err, likely starters) have some buzz. Zac Gallen is a New Jersey native who has pitched pretty well in this postseason. Nathan Eovaldi, well, he has been a beast.
Nathan Eovaldi has been one of the best postseason pitchers of his generation, which remains absolutely fascinating the longer he does it. Who wouldn't want to see more World Series heroics from him?
— Chris Towers is the Riley Greene Preservation Soc (@CTowersCBS) October 25, 2023
Numbers opened with Texas as a favorite for Game 1 and the World Series. Again, if anyone can bask in the glow of this World Series, it would be Eovaldi. He has quietly become one of the most consistent postseason pitchers of this generation. Now, will Texas get the hitting needed to get by Arizona on Friday night? That same question could be applied to the rest of the series.
Texas and Arizona feel little pressure here compared to the teams they just beat. Houston and Philadelphia was the matchup a huge majority of fans and pundits were expecting. Fans and bettors alike get ready for a series that will, at the very least, be far from dull. Eovaldi and Texas do seem to have the edge in Game 1, and Eovaldi was listed as long as +4300 for World Series MVP. Expect that number to drop quickly, especially after the opener.
Friday night figures to see the potential for some stormy weather. Basically, Texas weather is simply just a little out there. So, what other ways to go in the Diamondbacks vs Rangers Best Bets? Okay, we mentioned earlier that young Zac Gallen was starting for Arizona. He is not expected to go much more than five innings on Friday. Arizona will need some bullpen help, more than likely.
Some bettors asked how much weight one places here as far as regular season matchups. Honestly, they are worth looking into. On the other hand, the current form outweighs most anything done months ago. Arizona beat Texas 6-3 a couple of months ago in their last meeting. So, besides the obvious Game 1 pick, what early possibilities do we have at our disposal?
Simply, there are some very early series props. How many games might the World Series go? Six games could be a popular choice here. Seven games might be the most intriguing for two teams, and that comes in via BetOnline at +195. Not surprisingly, the Over of 6.5 games is also +195. A Texas 4-3 series outcome pays out at +400 and is catching up to be the most favored Texas scenario.
So, again, who wins Game 1? Nathan Eovaldi figures to keep things under control. Combine that with what was a clutch Texas bullpen against Houston makes us side with the Rangers for the World Series opener.
MLB Online Betting Sites lament if there was only a rain prop to bet on. Again, be sensible here.
Some top online betting sites figure to deliver more props as Friday draws closer:
Summary
Chris Wassel AA, AAS CURRENTLY Sports Writer and Journalist RESIDES IN Rahway, NJ EDUCATION Union County College, Montclair State University EXPERTISE Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and more Summary Member of FSWA, FSGA, and a variety of Sports Betting Groups. Lead arranger of news and injury reports for Rotoballer Hockey. Also did the news lead for NASCAR on the same site coming out of COVID. Strategy and mapping out of various sports betting and sports articles for MyNHLTradeRumors and gambling.com. Runs a hockey and fantasy hockey podcast that teaches fantasy hockey players how to improve their skills. Experience Chris Wassel has 20+ years of sports journalistic experience in various disciplines.. His ability to play sports is well documented. Most people in the business just write. However, Chris will race cars and even a super Moto bike from time to time. There is that fitness and hiking/cycling aspect too. Chris has climbed mountains from Mount Washington to Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California. For those that do not know. Chris also dabbles in food eating contests and challenges. Having a unique background with friends including Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has the ability to eat a whole 16-pound turkey or a 32 inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, Chris has primarily focused on sports writing and fitness. On social media, he will answer any question in many different aspects. Even Chris's ability to wager on Entertainment and US Elections is well documented. He was able to predict Joe Biden's inevitable dip in approval rating below 40%. Throughout his career, Chris has worked at a lot of places from DraftKings to USA Today and much more. Finally, Chris has been nominated for quite a few awards from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for Hockey Writer Of The Year. Also, there have been a number of amazing fantasy hockey championships from expert to high-stake leagues. Education Chris received an Associates from Union Country College for business and accounting. Chris did sports journalism work at Montclair State University covering the hockey, baseball, and football teams. Quote from Chris Wassel "Do Not Think, Just Do.”
Education
1999 Graduate of Union County College
1993 Graduate of Rahway High School
Professional Achievements
Media credentialed member of the New Jersey Devils since 2010
Covered several NHL Drafts including the one day event in Newark in 2013
Been on countless podcasts, TV shows, and more including Sportsnet and even NHL Network