The Tampa Bay Rays host the Texas Rangers in the first of their three-match mini-series on Friday night. Both sides top their respective divisions, and both have been in good form recently. Will home advantage give the Rays the edge? Here we tell you what we think with our latest MLB betting picks.
The Tampa Bay Rays top the AL East, and the Texas Rangers top the AL West. It’s fair to say that both teams have so far exceeded expectations this season. The Rays have the New York Yankees in their division, with the Houston Astros keeping the Texas Rangers company.
As a result, not many fans would have predicted that it would be the Rays and Rangers topping their respective divisions at this stage of the season. And neither did the top MLB betting sites. But what about now?
Well, in the betting to win the AL East, the Rays are now -300, with the Yankees out at +450. The Orioles are +650, with the Toronto Blue Jays at +1000.
While over in the AL West, the Houston Astros are still the favorites at -165, with the Texas Rangers at +145.
Moving on, and in the betting to win the 2023 World Series, both sides feature amongst the favorites, but it’s the Tampa Bay Rays who are more liked by the best MLB World Series betting sites.
Starting with the favorites, and it’s the Atlanta Braves leading the way at +500. The Braves are closely followed by the LA Dodgers at +550, with the Rays third at +600. The Houston Astros are next at +700, with the Yankees at +1000. The Blue Jays are +1400 and then comes the Texas Rangers at +1600.
It’s fair to say the sportsbooks aren’t giving Bruce Bochy’s team as much gravitas as they are to Kevin Cash’s Tampa Bay outfit. But the Rangers shouldn’t let that bother them too much. As we saw last year with the Dodgers and the Yankees, it’s not always the bookmaker’s favorites who are the teams that end up contesting the World Series finals.
We’ve just seen they’re regarded as the better side by the sportsbooks, and they also have a home advantage. So it will come as no surprise to see the Tampa Bay Rays are the favorites to win this match.
The Rays are -161 on the moneyline, with the Rangers at +148. On the spread, the Rays are +120 starting from -1.5 points behind. With the start, the Rangers are -140. As for total points, that’s set at 8. With over at odds of -108, and under at odds of -112.
More betting odds can be found on our MLB odds table. These odds are taken from the best Baseball betting sites, which you can read more about on our top-rated sportsbooks for online betting page.
| Tampa Bay Rays vs Texas Rangers Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rays | -161 | -161 | -161 |
| Rangers | +148 | +148 | +148 |
| Handicap Line | |||
| Rays (-1.5) | +120 | +120 | +120 |
| Rangers (+1.5) | -140 | -140 | -140 |
Tampa Bay defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Thursday, sweeping the mini-series. Their latest win means they are 46-19 this season, and they are also on a winning streak of six.
The Rays really are now on a roll. And with three home-field matches coming up against the Rangers, they will be looking and expecting to build on that momentum.
As for the Texas Rangers, they suffered a shock home defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals in their last outing. The defeat brought their five-match winning streak to an end.
The Rangers are still in a good place though. Bruce Bohey’s team is still well clear at the top of the AL West, with a 40-21 record. And with the back-to-back fixtures at the moment, every side is susceptible to the odd defeat.
Bohey will know it’s how his team bounces back after a defeat that counts. And with the extra day’s rest, that may well give his team a slight advantage heading into their 3-match road trip.
This promises to be an interesting three matches across the weekend. It will be a great test for the Rangers to see how far they have come. And a win here for Bohey’s team would lay down a marker and cause the sportsbooks to rethink their World Series winner’s odds.
The match also has an intriguing twist with brothers, Nathaniel and Josh Lowe, in direct competition.
But with or without the extra day’s rest for the Rangers, the six-match winning streak the Rays are on is impressive. They also have a home advantage, so we have to go with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Can the Rays cover the spread? In five of their six wins, they would have covered. So we are taking the better odds and going for Tampa Bay to cover the spread at +120.
In the total points market, as we’re going for a Tampa Bay win, we’re backing under 8. But if you feel the Rangers might win, overs could be a bet that covers both angles. Because when Bohey’s team wins, they tend to win big.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
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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