Rangers vs. Rays odds: Who is favorite to win Wild Card series in 2023 MLB playoffs

The Tampa Bay Rays (99-63) and Texas Rangers (90-72) will match up in the American League Wild Card Round in the 2023 MLB playoffs. Game 1 is set for Tuesday, October 3 and all games will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Heading into the season, it was pretty obvious to all baseball fans that Tampa would be here still contending for a World Series when we made it to October. But after a really hot start to the year where it looked like they’d cruise away with the AL East, they faltered a bit and the Orioles got hot. When all was said and done they’d have to settle for a Wild Card spot, just two games back of Baltimore for the division crown.

Texas on the other hand was slated to finish fourth in the AL West heading into the season. They finished atop the division, in a tie with the Astros, but were relegated to a Wild Card spot thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rangers are powered by a stellar offense that scored more runs than any other during the 2023 MLB season which helped them punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Let’s go over the odds to win the series on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Rangers vs. Rays odds

Odds: Tampa Bay Rays -155, Texas Rangers +130

The Rays are favored to win this series, and rightfully so. They’ve won 19 of their last 30 games and come into this series having won four out of their last five. (Though their ace, Shane McClanahan, is out for the season after suffering undergoing Tommy John surgery.)

Texas comes into this game having lost three of their last four and has won just 15 of their last 30 overall and six of their last 10. The Rangers also have an advantage in the season series between these two teams, having won four of the six total meetings between them. They swept the most recent series, a three-game set in July. They were all played in Arlington, though while this series will be in Florida.

Prediction: Despite the Rangers having a 4-2 record over their opponents this season, they’re 1-2 at the Trop. The Rays are the better overall team — Texas’ pitching staff is awfully sketchy right now — and should take care of business to make it into the divisional round.