World Series Game 1: Preview, odds, and game prediction
World Series odds, a same-game parlay, and game preview can help prime you for one of the oldest sporting events in North America: the Fall Classic. The winner of this series will be crowned Major League Baseball champions.
The 2023 World Series commences on Friday evening with Game 1 at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington. The Texas Rangers are series favorites, priced at -170 according to Caesars Sportsbook. But it’s difficult to ignore the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-3 in the postseason after knocking off three teams as underdogs.
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- Arizona (+145)
- Texas (-170)
- The Rangers have never won the World Series. They are the oldest active MLB franchise that has never won the championship.
- The Diamondbacks are making their second appearance in the World Series, and first since 2001.
- Both the Rangers and Diamondbacks are wild card teams. This is the third time two wild-card teams have met in the World Series. The other occurred in 2002 (Angels over Giants) and 2014 (Giants over Royals).
- Bruce Bochy is managing his third different franchise in the World Series (previously Padres and Giants). He’s the third manager in MLB history to accomplish that, joining Bill McKechnie (1925 Pirates, 1928 Cardinals, 1939-40 Reds) and Dick Williams (1967 Red Sox, 1972-73 A’s, 1984 Padres).
- This is the first time both teams in the Fall Classic have lost 100 games in a season within two years of their World Series appearance. In 2021, the D’backs lost 110 games, and in that same season, the Rangers lost 102.
- There have now been 14 different franchises represented in the last 10 World Series. We are also guaranteed to have a ninth different champion in the last 10 years of the World Series.
You’ll need to bet $170 to win $100 if you think the Rangers will win Game 1, which will be played in Arlington, Texas.
Zac Gallen (2-2, 5.24 ERA, 13 K in 22.1 IP) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (4-0, 2.42 ERA, 28 K in 26 IP)
The Arizona Game 1 starter admits he spent some of his time after Game 7 of the NL Championship Series browsing through the DMs he received on Twitter (now called X). That can illicit one of two reactions from D’backs fans: either “Yeah, that’s our guy,” or “Why the heck is our Game 1 pitcher wasting time on social media trolling?”
Gallen might be wise to spend less time on his mobile phone, and more time on the mound or in the film room studying hitters. He was pounded twice by the Phils in the NLCS, and has been far from the ace the Snakes need him to be this postseason. On Friday he steps on the biggest stage for the biggest game of the MLB season so far. Hearts will be on hold in Arizona, where fans know how fickle Gallen’s talent can be.
Only one starting pitcher has ever won five games in a single postseason (Stephen Strasburg four years ago for the Nationals). Nathan Eovaldi has a chance to match that record, and possibly eclipse it in this series. The Texas righty is 8-3 lifetime in the PS. He has a 1.13 ERA in three prior World Series games, which covered eight innings for Boston in 2018.
“Nerves of steel” is what you think of for Eovaldi, as he’s now proven himself as one of the most effective postseason pitchers of his generation. A true strike thrower (69-to-12 career PS K-to-BB ratio), Eovaldi is a big reason the Rangers are such moneyline favorites in the series opener.
The Rangers by virtue of their 8-0 record on the road in these playoffs, have earned the right to be favorites in the 2023 World Series. Their offense was third in MLB in runs, second in total bases, first in doubles, and only one team had more hits. They have stellar top of the rotation arms, and a hard-throwing bullpen. If that weren’t enough, the Rangers ranked second in baseball in defensive efficiency.
Still, if we’ve learned anything this October, it’s that the unexpected can (and will likely) happen. Who had the Diamondbacks in the Series against the Rangers? The former struggled to eke themselves into the postseason, and the latter blew a lead in the final weekend of the regular season and fell out of first place.
Both the Diamondbacks and Rangers lost 100+ games only two seasons ago, proving that MLB has parity for those who want it. Now, we get an unlikely World Series, which could provide unlikely heroes and moments.
Looking for players to be stars in the Fall Classic? Consider prop bets on Adolis Garcia, Josh Jung, and Corey Seager, among those wearing the Texas hats. On the other side, we like Ketel Marte, Gabby Moreno, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to potentially emerge for Arizona.
Don’t bother within much of your bankroll on pitchers: these games will feature loads of relievers and a flurry of rally-stopping pitching situations. Who knows who will record “wins” and how many K’s you’ll see from starters. And who cares? Let’s hope for a long series, with an epic ending between two teams few experts picked to be in this spotlight.
Don’t count out the D’backs. The pressure is off this team, they’re playing with house money. The World Series is like filler for them now, and this young, scrappy team is carrying a “why not us?” metaility into (another) underdog fight.
- Arizona to Win
- Total Runs Under 8 Runs
The Rangers batters try to do too much, resulting in too many goose eggs. The Diamondbacks find ways to claw runs across the plate and win a low-scoring game, shut down by the vigorous bullpen. Texas may still win this series, but we like Arizona to grab a win on the road in the Lone Star State.
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