MLB Betting: Rangers Host Angels in Crucial Four-Game Series
The Angels find themselves trailing the Texas Rangers by five games in the AL West as the two teams prepare for a huge four-game series in Arlington.
Forgive me if you think it's still premature to consider any baseball series critical for both teams at this juncture. But the weekend set that will take place in the Lone Star State the next four days is a big one, and it all begins with a marquee pitching matchup.
The Los Angeles Angels arrive in Texas five games behind their opposition in the AL West standings and coming off a 1-2 series loss in the Bronx. The division-leading Rangers fell 4-1 in Detroit on Wednesday, but still won that series and are coming home after a very sweet 5-2 road trip that started in Boston.
Thursday's series opener should be a tough one for baseball bettors with Jered Weaver facing Cliff Lee. Opening MLB odds put some hefty chalk on Lee and the Rangers with Texas listed in the minus 155 area. That has been juiced to 160-165 now at most shops.
The betting total initially came out at 7 ½ with extra pennies on the 'over,' but was bet up almost immediately to eight with the 'over' still priced a bit higher.
Los Angeles' AL entry simply cannot afford to go 3-4 or worse in its seven games coming up against the Rangers over the next 11 days. The Halos simply have to split, at worst, in Arlington and win at least two of three the following weekend at home. I love Mike Scioscia and the ghost of Gene Autry, and hate just about everything about Dallas or anything within 20 miles or so as the crow flies of that city's downtown. So from a fan's standpoint you should know where I'm at on this series.
Still, give the Rangers their due. And let's not forget that from a betting standpoint there's a Texas futures ticket in an old-fashioned expanding file folder locked away in my gun case. Perhaps I'm the only baseball bettor confused by this series.
Weaver (11-9, 3.16) is coming off a winning effort at home against the Mariners that followed two lackluster starts on the road against the White Sox and A's. This will be his third go at the Rangers, and second in Texas, this season.
The skinny right-hander tossed a gem in Anaheim on July 1 to top Texas, 2-1. Weaver gave up just a pair of hits and two walks in blanking the Rangers over seven innings as 125 chalk. That made up for a pummeling he took on May 18 in Texas when he was charged with seven runs and failed to get through the fifth. Weaver no-decisioned then with the Rangers winning 8-7 as the 125 favorites.
Lee (0-2, 4.00 with Texas, 9-6, 2.59 overall) has tossed two complete games since joining the Rangers and leads the American League with six complete games on the season. That's just one behind another tough-luck arm, Philadelphia's Roy Halladay.
His career numbers at Rangers Ballpark are pretty poor, yet nothing compared to his betting stats in the yard since joining the club just before the All-Star break. His first start in front of the new fans came with baseball oddsmakers hoisting 350 chalk or more on his left shoulder. Lee dropped a minus 145 decision in Boston in his most recent assignment, the only game Texas lost in Beantown that series.
It's going to be hotter than a fresh-loved ewe in the D-FW metroplex on Thursday. Afternoon highs should tickle 100ºF with a game-time temp likely still in the low-90s. There's a slight chance of rain, but I wouldn't sweat it from a betting standpoint. A warm southerly wind around 15 mph is forecast (RF to 3B), and that could knock down some of the long flies out to that area of the park.
The series continues Friday with a matchup of lefties. Joe Saunders (9-10, 4.83) gets the ball from Scioscia with C.J. Wilson (13-6, 3.23) on the hill for Ron Washington's bunch.
NOTE: The W-L records shown for starting pitchers are their team's W-L mark when they started games in the 2010 season.
The Angels find themselves trailing the Texas Rangers by five games in the AL West as the two teams prepare for a huge four-game series in Arlington.
Forgive me if you think it's still premature to consider any baseball series critical for both teams at this juncture. But the weekend set that will take place in the Lone Star State the next four days is a big one, and it all begins with a marquee pitching matchup.
The Los Angeles Angels arrive in Texas five games behind their opposition in the AL West standings and coming off a 1-2 series loss in the Bronx. The division-leading Rangers fell 4-1 in Detroit on Wednesday, but still won that series and are coming home after a very sweet 5-2 road trip that started in Boston.
Thursday's series opener should be a tough one for baseball bettors with Jered Weaver facing Cliff Lee. Opening MLB odds put some hefty chalk on Lee and the Rangers with Texas listed in the minus 155 area. That has been juiced to 160-165 now at most shops.
The betting total initially came out at 7 ½ with extra pennies on the 'over,' but was bet up almost immediately to eight with the 'over' still priced a bit higher.
Los Angeles' AL entry simply cannot afford to go 3-4 or worse in its seven games coming up against the Rangers over the next 11 days. The Halos simply have to split, at worst, in Arlington and win at least two of three the following weekend at home. I love Mike Scioscia and the ghost of Gene Autry, and hate just about everything about Dallas or anything within 20 miles or so as the crow flies of that city's downtown. So from a fan's standpoint you should know where I'm at on this series.
Still, give the Rangers their due. And let's not forget that from a betting standpoint there's a Texas futures ticket in an old-fashioned expanding file folder locked away in my gun case. Perhaps I'm the only baseball bettor confused by this series.
Weaver (11-9, 3.16) is coming off a winning effort at home against the Mariners that followed two lackluster starts on the road against the White Sox and A's. This will be his third go at the Rangers, and second in Texas, this season.
The skinny right-hander tossed a gem in Anaheim on July 1 to top Texas, 2-1. Weaver gave up just a pair of hits and two walks in blanking the Rangers over seven innings as 125 chalk. That made up for a pummeling he took on May 18 in Texas when he was charged with seven runs and failed to get through the fifth. Weaver no-decisioned then with the Rangers winning 8-7 as the 125 favorites.
Lee (0-2, 4.00 with Texas, 9-6, 2.59 overall) has tossed two complete games since joining the Rangers and leads the American League with six complete games on the season. That's just one behind another tough-luck arm, Philadelphia's Roy Halladay.
His career numbers at Rangers Ballpark are pretty poor, yet nothing compared to his betting stats in the yard since joining the club just before the All-Star break. His first start in front of the new fans came with baseball oddsmakers hoisting 350 chalk or more on his left shoulder. Lee dropped a minus 145 decision in Boston in his most recent assignment, the only game Texas lost in Beantown that series.
It's going to be hotter than a fresh-loved ewe in the D-FW metroplex on Thursday. Afternoon highs should tickle 100ºF with a game-time temp likely still in the low-90s. There's a slight chance of rain, but I wouldn't sweat it from a betting standpoint. A warm southerly wind around 15 mph is forecast (RF to 3B), and that could knock down some of the long flies out to that area of the park.
The series continues Friday with a matchup of lefties. Joe Saunders (9-10, 4.83) gets the ball from Scioscia with C.J. Wilson (13-6, 3.23) on the hill for Ron Washington's bunch.
NOTE: The W-L records shown for starting pitchers are their team's W-L mark when they started games in the 2010 season.