Diamondbacks vs Rangers World Series Game 1 Prediction

mybookie App Download App

Download Remind me later

It’s one of the most unlikely World Series matchups in years when Wild Cards teams Arizona and Texas face off in Game 1 of the 2023 Fall Classic in Arlington with the Rangers favored on the MLB odds for the opener and to win their first title. 2023 MLB Betting MyBookie Sportsbook Arizona vs. Texas World Series Game 1

How to Bet Diamondbacks at Rangers MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 8:03 PM ET
Where: Globe Life Field
Probable pitchers (away/home): Zac Gallen/Nathan Eovaldi
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Rangers -160, Diamondbacks +140 (total 8)

Season Series

Arizona won the season series 3-1 but the Rangers hold home-field advantage in the World Series due to a better regular-season record. For Texas, it has been 12 years since it made it to the Fall Classic and it has never won it. For Arizona, it’s been 22 years. But the D-backs won a title in their only appearance in 2001.

Why Bet on Arizona?

Philadelphia had won 11 straight home playoff games before being stunned in both Game 6 and Game 7 of the NLCS by Arizona. The Snakes became the seventh team in MLB Postseason history to lose both Games 1 and 2 on the road in a best-of-seven series and battle back to eventually win that series.

Arizona only won 84 regular-season games, the fewest wins (in a full season) for a team to reach the World Series since the 2006 Cardinals, who advanced (and eventually won) the World Series after winning 83 games. The D-Backs are 9-3 in their 12 games so far this Postseason with six of the wins on the road.

Ketel Marte was named NLCS MVP after hitting .387 (12-for-31) vs. Philly four doubles, one triple, two runs scored and three RBI. He has hit safely in each of his first 16 career Postseason games, now the longest streak for any player to begin his Postseason career. It’s tied for the fourth-longest playoff hit streak ever. The only players with longer overall streaks are: Manny Ramírez (17 games), Derek Jeter (17 games) and Hank Bauer (17 games). This Postseason, Marte is 19-for-53 (.358) with eight extra-base hits, seven RBI, six runs scored and two steals.

NL Rookie of the Year lock Corbin Carroll was a huge reason the Snakes won Game 7 as he became the second-youngest player in Postseason history to have at least three hits and two steals in a playoff game. Only Ty Cobb in 1908 was younger. Arizona is 6-0 in these playoffs when scoring first and also 6-0 when stealing a base.

It’s righty Zac Gallen on the hill Friday, and he’ll finish in the top 3 of the NL Cy Young voting but won’t win it. Gallen started 34 times during the regular season, amassing a 3.47 ERA (125 ERA+) and a 4.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He made his first career All-Star Game.

The 28-year-old right-hander has struggled to a pedestrian 5.24 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 13/9 K/BB ratio across 22 1/3 innings (four starts) this postseason. After winning his starts in the Wild Card and Division Series, Gallen stumbled a bit in the NLCS. The D-backs lost both of his starts, with Gallen allowing a combined nine runs on 14 hits and four walks over 11 innings.

He last pitched in Game 5 of the NLCS, giving up four runs on six hits over his six innings of work. The Phillies scored twice in the opening inning — on a two-out RBI single by Bryson Stott and then a swipe of home by Bryce Harper as part of a double steal. Gallen settled in by retiring 11 batters in a row until Kyle Schwarber led off the sixth inning with a solo blast. Two batters later, Bryce Harper replicated the feat. Gallen got nine swings and misses on 93 pitches in the ballgame, posting a CSW of 24 percent.

Gallen is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in three career appearances versus the Rangers.

Bet Diamondbacks to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games

Why Bet on Texas?

The Rangers won all four games in the ALCS in Houston and obviously lost all three at home. Texas is 8-0 on the road in these playoffs, tying the MLB record for longest road win streak in a single Postseason, joining the 1996 Yankees and 2019 Nationals. The ‘96 Yankees are the only other team to win their first eight road games of a Postseason.

Monday’s 11-4 win in Houston was the first Game 7 win in franchise history. The 11 runs scored tied for the second-most in a Game 7 all-time (Atlanta scored 15 in Game 7 of the 1996 NLCS vs. St. Louis) and tied for the second-most scored in a Rangers Postseason game all-time (had 15 runs in Game 6 of the 2011 ALCS vs. Detroit).

Outfielder Adolis Garcia was named the MVP of the ALCS. He had the sixth multi-HR Postseason game in Rangers history and second of this series (Josh Jung homered twice in Game 3) in Game 7 as part of his four hits, which tied a franchise playoff record. Garcia’s five RBIs also tied a team playoff mark. He has hit safely in 11 of 12 Postseason games for Texas, has homered in four consecutive games and driven in a run in six consecutive games.

The six game RBI streak is a Rangers Postseason record and is tied for the fourth-longest RBI streak in a single Postseason in MLB history (only longer RBI streaks are eight games by Ryan Howard (PHI) in 2009 and seven game streaks by Daniel Murphy (NYM) in 2015 and Alex Rodriguez (NYY) in 2009. Garcia’s seven total home runs and 20 RBI in the 2023 Postseason lead the Majors. His 20 RBI are tied with Nomar Garciaparra for the most by any player in his first 12 career Postseason games.

Bruce Bochy became the manager all-time to win a League Championship Series with three different franchises (San Diego, San Francisco and Texas).

It’s veteran Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. The right-hander pitched 6 1/3 innings to win Game 6 of the ALCS and won Game 2 of the same series with six strong innings, both in Houston. He carries a 4-0 record with a 2.42 ERA over 26 innings in the 2023 postseason. The 33-year-old Eovaldi is 8-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 15 career postseason games, including 10 starts. Eovaldi’s only previous World Series was with the Red Sox in 2018, when he made relief appearances in each of the first three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Eovaldi really struggled in September so this dominance is a bit surprising. He didn’t face Arizona this season.

Bet Rangers to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games

World Series Expert Prediction

Rangers 5, Diamondbacks 3