ALCS game 3 preview: Odds, parlays, and promos for Astros vs. Rangers
The backs of the Houston Astros’ are officially against the wall in this League Championship Series after falling down 0-2 to the Texas Rangers, and now face the prospect of having to win on the road in the next three games.
The Rangers are two wins away from winning the pennant, and with that could come wagers on the World Series for MLB bettors. Our Best Baseball Sportsbooks page lists the features of each sports betting app in Michigan. Download your choice (or pick more than one), and get bonus bets.
Odds are from Caesars Sportsbook, where you can qualify for a $1,000 First Bet on Caesars, if your initial wager fails to win. That offer is for new registrants of the Caesars mobile betting app.
Houston (+110, +1.5 -178) vs. Texas (-130, -1.5 +150), Over/Under 9 runs (-115, -105)
Cristian Javier (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 K in 5 IP in post-season) vs. Max Scherzer
The last time Max Scherzer pitched was almost five weeks ago in a different country when he defeated the Blue Jays in Toronto. Since then, Mad Max has been shelved due to a shoulder injury. But manager Bruce Bochy has the pleasure of placing a baseball in Mad Max’s glove for Game 3. The Ballpark at Arlington, as it is still known to most Rangers rooters, will be thunderous for Scherzer on Wednesday night.
Scherzer’s pitch count will be important, and you can count on Astros’ batters working to increase that number. Max is known for his intensity, but the three -time Cy Young Award winner will need to control his emotions against the talented Houston gang of mashers.
The type of career success that Scherzer has forged is where Javier wants to go. The dynamic righthander from the Dominican is quickly earning the reputation as an October superstar. In three post season starts, Javier has allowed only two hits(!) in 16 ⅓ innings, with 23 strikeouts. The Rangers lineup is going to be challenged to make solid contact with Javier’s four-seam fastball and slider, which he throws about 90 percent of the time. The expected batting average against Javier’s fastball was only .187, one of the lowest in MLB this season. His weakness is command: he will walk batters and go astray of the strike zone.
Given the skills of the two starters you might expect oodles of strikeouts in Game 3 of the ALCS. But be wary of K prop bets, as Scherzer has been untested in more than a month; and he will be facing the most disciplined lineup in baseball. However, MLB playoff parlay bets will be a good option for the savvy baseball bettor.
Odds are stacked against the Astros in this series, but it’s telling that oddsmakers have them as +110 on the moneyline for Game 3. That’s due to the Astros dominant performance against the Rangers in Arlington this season. In early September, Houston swept a three-game series in the Rangers’ ballpark, scoring at least 10 runs in each victory. Many of the Astros love hitting at Globe Life Field. Yordan Alvarez has a career 1064 OPS with 5 doubles and 7 homers in 20 games in the stadium. He also has a home run off Scherzer in only two games.
The Rangers are mild favorites at home in a playoff game, that tells you what you need to know about their history against rival Houston at home. You can bet $130 on the Rangers to win $100, but the runline is a better option for the Astros, at +1.5 (-178). We think if Houston wins Game 3, they win by at least two runs, which leads us to…
This four-leg parlay is from FanDuel, where you can get +573:
- Marcus Semien To Record a Hit
- Kyle Tucker To Record a Hit
- Corey Seager To Record 2+ Total Bases
- Yordan Alvarez To Record 2+ Total Bases
Semien and Tucker are talented hitters who have yet to break out in this series, but are too talented not to have success. We like Alvarez to have (another) big game for the Astros.
A $100 winning wager on this parlay would win $673, including your stake.
Best bet:
This veteran Houston team knows this is essentially a must-win. That’s why we like Houston to lead after 5 innings (+162 from FanDuel)
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