It’s finally here, and it’s glorious. The World Series starts on Friday night in Arlington, Texas, and it should be a good one. So what that the Braves, Astros, Dodgers or Orioles aren’t in it? It’s been the postseason of the underdogs, and in my opinion, that has just made it all the more exciting. For Game 1, I’ve crafted a Same Game Parlay at FanDuel Sportsbook that pays out at over 6/1 odds.
Rangers ML (-168)
Adolis Garcia 1+ RBI (+100)
Under 7.5 (+114)
Same Game Parlay odds: +621
Texas Rangers ML (-168) over Arizona Diamondbacks
Here’s a fun fact: every postseason game that Nathan Eovaldi has started this October, the Rangers have won. The veteran has been fantastic in the postseason with a 2.42 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a .216 batting average allowed in 4 outings against the Rays, Orioles and Astros twice. His success this month has been both surprising and not surprising at the same time. It’s been surprising since he posted a 9.30 ERA in his final 6 starts of the regular season, but it’s also not surprising since Eovaldi has a career 2.87 ERA in 69 postseason innings. At this point, we have to ignore Eovaldi’s regular season performances because he becomes a different pitcher once the calendar flips to October. But perhaps the most important attribute that Eovaldi brings is his ability to go deep in games.
He has completed at least 6 innings in all 4 postseason starts which has been the key to Texas’ success. When a Texas pitcher can go 6 innings, it allows manager Bruce Bochy to use his 3 reliable relievers to close out the game – Josh Sborz in the 7th, Aroldis Chapman in the 8th and Jose Leclerc in the 9th. Arizona’s postseason success has been very surprising – especially since its ace hasn’t performed like advertised. In 4 postseason starts, Gallen is 2-2 with a 5.24 ERA and a 1.48 ERA. During those 22.1 innings, he has allowed a .282 batting average, a .318 xBA and 7 barrels. Admittedly, he has faced some powerful offenses like the Dodgers and Phillies twice, but it won’t get any easier against a Rangers offense that might be the most balanced lineup of any team that entered the postseason. From the leadoff spot to the 9-hole hitter, the Texas lineup can hurt you with one swing. Back at home with their postseason ace on the mound, it’s hard to not like the Rangers in this spot.
Check out our Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers predictions
Adolis Garcia 1+ RBI (+100)
The Texas cleanup hitting has recorded an RBI in 6 consecutive games and 9 of 12 postseason games. He’s been the perfect hitter behind Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Evan Carter who consistently get on base for the slugger. But sometimes, Garcia doesn’t even need a runner on base to record the RBI. He’s hit 7 home runs in the postseason, which is an automatic RBI, so even if there’s nobody on base, Garcia has proven that it doesn’t stop him from getting an RBI. In the 12 postseason games, Garcia is hitting .327 with a .750 slugging percentage and has recorded a ridiculous 20 RBIs in 52 at-bats.
In just his last 3 games alone, Garcia is 6-for-13 with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs. And the best part about this bet is that Garcia doesn’t need to reach base from this leg to win. If the hitters in front of him do their jobs and execute situational hitting, Garcia could come up with a runner on 3rd, and a fly ball to the outfield should cash this leg. For a bet that’s cashed 6 games in a row, it’s worthy of backing again.
Our MLB props expert is on a 9-0 run! Find out his best Diamondbacks vs Rangers player prop bets for Game 1
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers Under 7.5 (+114)
Whenever Eovaldi toes the rubber, I’m going to lean towards the under. That’s exactly what I’m doing in Game 1 too, as this total just seems a little too high for my liking. Eovaldi is going to give the Rangers 5 or 6 innings, and I would be very surprised if he allows more than 2 runs in that span. My best guess for his final line against the Snakes would be 6 innings, 5 hits and 1 run. If that line comes close to the actual result, the under would be in an excellent position to win. That’s because Bochy could use Sborz, Chapman and Leclerc in the final 3 innings to close out the game if Eovaldi can give the Rangers 6 innings.
Switching to the Diamondbacks, Gallen hasn’t been the best, and I don’t expect a massive change in Game 1. He will likely get hit around for about 3 runs before Torey Lovullo goes to his surprisingly-amazing bullpen. The Arizona arm barn was in the bottom half of the league in the regular season and wasn’t expected to play a large role in their postseason success, but it’s been just the opposite. If Gallen can get through 5 innings, the Arizona bullpen should be able to finish the job. In Game 1, I’m expecting the total to go under.
We have a World Series YRFI/NRFI best bet for Diamondbacks vs Rangers Game 1
