World Series Game 1 winner pick: Best Bet for Oct. 27
Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here is our best bet for Friday, Oct. 27:
TOP PLAY
The play: MLB, Texas Rangers -1.5 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
The odds/bet: +130 ($30 to win $39)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: 8 p.m. (Fox)
Our take: The Texas Rangers come into the World Series swinging the bats as well as anybody we’ve seen in the 2023 MLB Postseason. They hung 20 combined runs on the Houston Astros in must-win Games 6 and 7, in addition to averaging nearly six runs per game in the playoffs.
They turn to their ace, Jordan Montgomery, who has allowed just seven runs in 25 innings of work this postseason. Arlington will be buzzing to welcome the World Series favorites home to host their first Fall Classic game in 12 years.
Opposing them will be an Arizona team that has earned the nickname “Answerbacks” for its resilience this postseason. Zac Gallen takes the bump for Game 1, which was a much more terrifying reality for opponents earlier in the season. Gallen’s struggled in his 22.1 innings this postseason, allowing 13 earned runs in four appearances.
Arizona lost the opening contest of the National League Championship Series in front of a ruckus crowd in Philadelphia — I see the same happening here. The Rangers’ bats are too hot right now and it’ll take the Diamondbacks a game or two to truly settle into this series.
Thursday's best bet: Buffalo Bills -9.5 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LOST)
If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
