The 2023 postseason starts on Tuesday, and the AL Wild Card Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers is a match that immediately caught the eye. The series is at Tropicana Field. In the opening match, the Rays (-147) are favorites, and here we look at their chances and tell you the best bets to make in our latest MLB betting picks.
One of the matchups of the Wild Card Series sees the fourth and fifth-seeded teams meet at Tropicana Field as they battle it out to take their place in the AL Division Series.
The Rays secured their place in the postseason a few days ago. But for the Rangers, their regular season went right down to the wire. A postseason place was already guaranteed earlier in the week. But even back then, Texas didn’t know whether it would be in the Division Series or the Wild Card Series.
It all came down to Game 162 to decide the AL West. The Astros defeated the Diamondbacks 8-1 and headed to the Division Series. The Rangers lost 1-0 to the Mariners and now head to the Wild Card Series.
Houston will now put their feet up and watch the Wild Card Series between the Twins (3) and the Blue Jays (6) with interest, as they will play the winners in the Division Series. The winners of the Rays vs. Rangers will face the Baltimore Orioles (1).
In American League Pennant betting there’s not much between the two franchises. The best MLB Postseason betting sites make the Rays +525, with the Rangers at +650. The betting favorite to win the AL Pennant is the Houston Astros.
The Astros are +210, with the Orioles second in the betting at +275. The Blue Jays are +725, and the Twins are +850.
The closeness of the two franchises is again reflected in the betting to win the 2023 World Series. In this market, the best MLB betting sites have the Rays at +1000 and the Rangers at +1200.
The Atlanta Braves are still the favorites to land the big one. Brian Snitker’s team is +300. Atlanta’s closest betting rivals are still the LA Dodgers at +450. LA is followed in the betting by the Houston Astros at +500 and the Baltimore Orioles at +600.
The Rays have a home-field advantage in the three Wild Card Series matches. This sees the bookmakers make them favorites on the money line to win the opening fixture. Tampa Bay is -147 to win the opening match, with the Rangers the outsiders at +135.
On the handicap spread, the Rangers are receiving the 1.5-point start, and with it, they are priced up at -165 to win and cover the spread. The Rays are +145, with the handicap in their favor.
Finally, in a match that we hope and expect to see plenty of runs scored, over 7.5 is -110, and under 7.5 runs is also -110.
More odds are available on our MLB betting table. Please visit our best online sportsbook reviews page for more information about the sites we have used for our odds.
| Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rays | -147 | -147 | -147 |
| Rangers | +135 | +135 | +135 |
| Handicap Line | |||
| Rays (-1.5) | +145 | +145 | +145 |
| Rangers (+1.5) | -165 | -165 | -165 |
These are two of the biggest hitting sides in the American League, with the Rangers leading the way on 881 runs and the Rays not far behind on 860 runs.
This is one of those matchups that makes the mouth water. The Rangers bring five All-Star starters to the table, including the red-hot Marcus Semien. The Rays have two All-Star starters.
In the regular season, the Rangers took the honors by winning four of the six head-to-head matchups. Although the aggregate scoreline from all six matches was close at 27-25 to the Rangers.
This looks like another of those matchups that is too close to call. Do we go with the Rays and their home-field advantage or the better-hitting stats of the Rangers?
It may well come down to who produces that bit of magic on the day to decide the winner of this match. And as we believe Texas carries that extra bit of stardust, we are going for the Rangers to win on the money line as our betting pick to win the match.
We are also expecting a slugfest at Tropicana Field. Okay, as the Rangers’ 1-0 defeat to the Mariners on Sunday showed, this doesn’t always happen. But the statistics show that these two franchises have the best-hitting records in the American League.
We cannot bet on under to win on the total runs spread market based on that. So, over 7.5 runs has to be the second pick.
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About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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