The Arizona Diamondbacks have a chance to thrill their home fans in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday. This series is now knotted at one game apiece for the D’backs and Texas Rangers.
According to Caesars Sportsbook‘s Rangers vs. Diamondbacks Game 3 odds, the Rangers (-140) are favored on the road over Arizona (+120).
This Fall Classic has all the signs of a long series, with each team bringing its own style to the field. The Diamondbacks peck away, stringing together many hits to score runs. Meanwhile, the Rangers swing hard and aim for the fences. Whichever team emerges as the winner in Game 3 will get themselves halfway to the four wins needed for a title. Since 1903, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the World Series 68% of the time.
World Series Game 3 Odds: Rangers vs. Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks Bury Rangers Under Barrage of Hits in Game 2, Knot Series
Yes, we’ll discuss the 16 hits the D’backs produced in Game 2, and yes, we’ll mention that 10 different Arizona batters got at least one hit. But first, there was Merrill Kelly, who may sound like an investment firm but pitched like Cy Young on Saturday. Kelly struck out nine and walked not a single Texas batter as he chewed up seven innings. It was the type of performance that people could be talking about for years and might stick in the back of the head of Rangers’ batters for the next few days, too. If they see Kelly in a Game 6, the big righthander may be scarier than anything that shows up this Halloween.
Game 2 was tight until the Arizona lineup banged out nine hits in the final three innings to score seven runs. They were helped by three walks from the Texas bullpen and helped themselves with two sacrifice bunts. Yes, BUNTS. For many of the fans under 3o reading this article, a sacrifice bunt is legal in baseball. You just probably know as much about it as you do the fax machine and thank you cards.
The Rangers’ reliance on homers was exposed in Game 2. For a second straight game in this series, they also had a blowup inning by the bullpen. That’s why they find themselves having to steal at least one win in Phoenix this week.
Game 3 Pitching Matchup
Max Scherzer (0-0, 9.45 ERA, 6 K) vs. Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 2.70 ERA, 22 K)
The Rangers are trusting Scherzer to be more effective in his third postseason start. So far, Mad Max has been uneven. He’s allowed seven runs in 6 2/3 innings and twice been the victim of the long ball. The only thing Bruce Bochy can hope for is five innings from his veteran ace, with fewer than three runs against. But, if Ketel Marte and the D’backs continue to hit as they have in this series (.308 with an .811 OPS), the Texas manager will be making phone calls to the visitors’ bullpen very often.
Bad news, Rangers! Pfaadt has yet to allow a run at Chase Field in 10 innings this postseason. He’s been nearly unhittable at home in the playoffs, with 11 K’s and zero walks. But he needs to be wary: Pfaadt used his 4-seam fastball a lot, a pitch that batters teed off on to the tune of .325 this season. Guess what the Texas loves more than a panda loves bamboo shoots? Fastballs. Can Pfaadt continue to flip the script on an ugly regular season ERA near 6.00 and confound the strangers-to-him Rangers? That will likely be the story of Game 3.
Game 3 Prediction
Hitting is contagious, and the D’backs are on a hot streak we haven’t seen in the World Series in many years. We don’t expect Scherzer to stem that tide. We like Arizona to win Game 3 and take a lead in the series.
Same-Game Parlay
The odds on our four-leg World Series same-game parlay (SGP) are +423 from Caesars.
- Gabriel Moreno: Total Hits Over 0.5
- Geraldo Perdomo: Total Hits Over 0.5
- Tommy Pham: Total Hits Over 0.5
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: Total Hits Over 0.5
Place a $100 bet on this parlay and collect $423 in profit ($523 total payout) if you win.
World Series Broadcast Schedule
- Game 1: Texas 6, Arizona 5
- Game 2: Arizona 9, Texas 1
- Game 3: Texas at Arizona, Oct. 30, 8:03 PM ET, FOX
- Game 4: Texas at Arizona, Oct. 31, 8:03 PM ET, FOX
- Game 5:* Texas at Arizona, Nov. 1, 8:03 PM ET, FOX
- Game 6:* Arizona at Texas, Nov. 3, 8:03 PM ET, FOX
- Game 7:* Arizona at Texas, Nov. 4, 8:03 PM ET, FOX
* Played if necessary
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