Was that entertaining enough for you? After multiple lead changes and two extra innings, the Texas Rangers hold a 1-0 series lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series odds. They meet again tonight in Texas for Game 2 of our MLB picks.
Adolis Garcia cannot be stopped at the moment, as the Texas slugger smacked a homer last night for his eighth of the postseason to give the Rangers the late-inning walk-off win. If last night's matchup was any indication for MLB odds, then we’re in for a wildly entertaining series.
What’s the best bet for Game 2? Find out in our MLB playoff predictions for Saturday, October 28.
Be sure to also check out our World Series player prop picks and Corbin Carroll props for tonight's matchup!
Diamondbacks vs Rangers Game 2 odds: Moneyline, run line, Over/Under
Diamondbacks vs Rangers Game 2 odds
Diamondbacks vs Rangers picks and predictions
Even in a loss last night, the Arizona Diamondbacks impressed me.
“You have to be able to draw from the positives, find what you did well, find the successes you had in the game, and roll that into the next day,” said D-backs third baseman Evan Longoria. “I feel like we played a pretty solid baseball game.”
After the Texas Rangers jumped on the Snakes early, I expected this to be another Texas postseason blowout. After all, the moment getting to Arizona would be understandable.
Instead, the D-backs battled, took the lead, and were unfortunate to lose in extras.
Some of the season-long luck that Jordan Montgomery had this year has extended into the postseason, and I think we’ll see some regression here. His last start against the Astros is a good example of some of that luck. Houston managed to hit four of the five hardest-hit balls in the game, but it didn’t result in the runs it likely should have, as Montgomery held the Stros to just two.
Could we see a shift in that tonight?
Montgomery has made two starts against Arizona this season, and they’ve been quite uneven. His most previous one was a brilliant showing of eight shutout innings in July. However, the one a month before was the complete opposite when the D-backs jumped on him for seven earned runs and 10 hits in just four innings pitched.
Arizona has been great against the sinker this season, and that’s the pitch Montgomery leans on the most. Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker all boast a hard-hit rate above 50% against that pitch, along with a batting average of over .300 against it.
On the other side of things, Merrill Kelly has yet to face this Texas team this season, but the peripherals suggest he should have success. Kelly’s change-up has been deadly this season, producing a +16 run value and a .180 opponent batting average.
If there’s one pitch that the Texas offense can be slowed down with, it’s likely that pitch. The Rangers enter this matchup with three batters that hit over the league average against it, but one of those players is Jonah Heim, who also has a whiff rate of over 30% against it. Kelly might not deliver a shutout effort again, but he should be able to navigate this lineup comfortably.
Give me Arizona tonight. My projections made the Snakes the slightest of underdogs at +105, so there’s some substantial value in this number.
My best bet: Diamondbacks moneyline (+125 at bet365)
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Diamondbacks vs Rangers same-game parlay
Diamondbacks moneyline
Merril Kelly Over 16.5 outs
We’re keeping things very simple here for our same-game parlay, pairing the Diamondbacks moneyline with a highly correlated play.
That play? Merrill Kelly to go Over his outs total of 16.5. While Kelly has accomplished such a feat just once this postseason, the particulars around this matchup are unique. Arizona needs Kelly to go deep into this one to keep its bullpen well-rested, and the veteran has a great matchup.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Diamondbacks vs Rangers World Series odds
Diamondbacks
RangersDiamondbacks vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
Arizona has shown a solid ability to bounce back off the mat. The D-backs did it down 2-0 against the Phillies and then won two straight in one of the most challenging environments in sports. I’m backing them to show that ability once again in a matchup where they have a pitching edge.
The total for this one opened up at 8.5 and immediately took some money. As of publication, it has settled around 9, and I’ll lean Under. The avalanche of scoring last night, particularly early, definitely reassured the public on their preseries belief that we’ll see a lot of runs here.
While I agree with that sentiment overall, I don’t think tonight's the night. Kelly has been on a roll over the postseason, and his mix of fastballs and offspeed pitches should do an excellent job of keeping the Rangers hitters off balance. On the other side of things, while I anticipate Montgomery getting hit a bit, it’s tough to see him having a total blow-up.
I projected the O/U to be listed at 8. Four of the last five starts for Jordan Montgomery have gone Under, and I think he makes it six out of seven.
Diamondbacks vs Rangers Betting Trend
The Diamondbacks have hit the moneyline in 36 of their last 59 games (+13.30 Units / 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Rangers
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Diamondbacks vs Rangers Game 2 odds and prop bets
| Game 2 run line: | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-162) / Rangers -1.5 (+136) |
| Game 2 moneyline: | Diamondbacks (+120) / Rangers (-142) |
| Game 2 total: | Over 9 (-110) / Under 9 (-110) |
| Run in the first inning: | Yes (-120) / No (-105) |
| Extra innings: | Yes (+750) / No (+1,600) |
| Diamondbacks total runs: | Over 4.5 (+114) / Under 4.5 (-145) |
| Rangers total runs: | Over 4.5 (-115) / Under 4.5 (-115) |
Diamondbacks vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX |
| Date: | Saturday, October 28, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 8:03 p.m. ET |
| Where to watch: | FOX |
Starting pitchers
Merrill Kelly (2-1, 2.65 ERA): Kelly is not considered the ace of this group, but he’s been the most consistent. To end the regular season, he gave up four or more runs twice in his last 15 starts. In the postseason, Kelly has been strong. He had one rough outing in Philly to open that series when the environment got the best of him, and he allowed multiple homers in the process. However, Kelly followed that up with an impressive start in Game 6 of the NCLS when he shut Philly out for six innings.
Jordan Montgomery (3-0, 2.16 ERA): Montgomery has been a workhorse this season. He’s already made five appearances this postseason and posted three scoreless starts. The one issue for Montgomery this season has been simply missing too many bats, as his whiff rate and K-rate rank in the bottom half of the league.
Diamondbacks vs Rangers injury report
Diamondbacks vs Rangers weather
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