After failing to win 70 games for the second consecutive season, the Texas Rangers made some aggressive moves to improve their outlook for the 2023 campaign, both in the dugout and on the mound.
The team was able to coax three-time World Series champion manager Bruce Bochy to come back to the game after he stepped away from the Giants following the 2019 season. Then, in one of the premier moves of the offseason, Texas landed two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom on a five-year contract.
Luring deGrom away from New York was the highlight of a significant offseason haul that has truly improved the outlook of the pitching staff. Texas also added proven veterans in Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jake Odorizzi, and will also bring back Martin Perez, who is coming off a career year, along with Jon Gray.
The Rangers now have a skipper who is an established winner, and potentially one of the best rotations in the American League if most of the key starters can avoid any major injuries. The top of the lineup looks solid with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager along with Nathaniel Lowe, who is coming off a breakout season.
While winning the AL West does not seem like an attainable goal, it is not out of the realm of possibility for the Rangers to make a push for a Wild Card berth. Getting continued quality production from the outfield, a splash season from top prospect Josh Jung, and settling the back end of the bullpen can all be factors in exceeding expectations.
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Rangers Top Betting Odds 2023
Rangers MLB betting odds are current as of March 10th at 5 p.m. EST from Caesars Sportsbook.
- Win World Series: (+5000)
- Win American League pennant: (+2500)
- Win AL West title: (+900)
- Win Total: Over 81.5 (-110) | Under 81.5 (-110)
The Rangers rank 18th in World Series odds, 10th to win the American League pennant, and third in AL West odds. Their season win total is the 16th-highest in MLB.
I would not be looking for Texas to come anywhere close to vying for an AL pennant (+2500) or even an AL West title (+900) with Houston and Seattle as the top contenders. But challenging for a Wild Card spot can certainly be among the realistic outcomes.
When he is available, deGrom is still the best pitcher in the game. Perez had a career-best 2.89 ERA last season, and Gray’s 25.7 K percentage was the second-highest of his career in the 24 starts that he was able to make.
Heaney made 14 starts last year, and he had a career-best 35.5 K rate with a 3.10 ERA and 2.83 xFIP. Eovaldi had a 3.87 ERA and 3.46 xFIP.
The Rangers’ initial rotation looks so deep that there is no projected room for Odorizzi. Among the newcomers, though, injuries have been recent issues for deGrom, Heaney, and Eovaldi, while returnee Gray is also a concern.
If the starting staff can remain mostly intact, though, it can spur a run to the playoffs, and there is quality depth even behind Odorizzi.
2023 MLB Futures Odds
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Rangers Futures Bets 2023
Below you’ll find the top Rangers futures bets for the 2023 season.
Rangers To Win Over 81.5 Games (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 2 Units
I have already detailed the potential strength of the starting staff, and along with the three premier hitters atop the batting order, the Rangers have the core of a squad that can certainly get them past the projected win total.
Semien started terribly as a Ranger, as he was hitting .199 with one homer at the end of May last season. From that point forward, though, Semien hit .266 with 25 homers with 19 of his 25 stolen bases, and that is the version of him we may see over a full season in 2023.
Seager will be a crux of the lineup after he played 151 games last year and hit a career-high 33 homers with 91 RBIs. He had a career-low .245 BA, but the .283 xBA points to a return back to the range of his .287 career norm in 2023.
Lowe busted out to win the AL Silver Slugger Award for first baseman as he hit .302 with 27 HRs. The .275 xBA and .459 xSLG (compared to the actual .492 SLG) indicate he may drop off a little, but not enough to consider last season an illusion.
Injuries have delayed the ascent of Jung, but now he is ticketed to be the full-time third baseman and is expected to tap into his tremendous power potential. The Rangers are also hoping Mitch Garver can recapture his better power form again.
The outfield includes Bubba Thompson, who stole 18 bases in 55 games last year, and Adolis Garcia, who has 58 HRs and 41 SBs over the past two seasons.
Thompson may continue to emerge as a speed threat and Garcia can soldier on with the same type of production, plus Jonathan Hernandez, Jose Leclerc, and Joe Barlow help anchor the bullpen.
In that case, the Rangers will have a strong chance of coasting past 80 wins.
Rangers Player Prop Bets 2023
Jacob deGrom To Win AL Cy Young Award (+600) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The last two times deGrom was able to make 30 starts, he won consecutive Cy Young awards. He is tied with Gerrit Cole for the best odds to win the award in 2023.
Over the last two seasons, in the 26 starts, he was able to make, deGrom had strikeout rates over 40 percent, well above his career norms, and he had xFIP finishes of 1.61 and 1.53. Those are just a few indicators that he can still dominate when he is on the hill.
Jacob deGrom: MLB Strikeouts Leader (+1100) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 0.5 Units
He has the fourth-best odds to lead MLB in strikeouts in 2023, and deGrom led the NL in strikeouts the last time he won a Cy Young Award. So if we are wagering on deGrom to contend for the AL Cy Young award, then the strikeouts total also has to be in play, especially with career-best 14.2 K/9 rates over each of the past two seasons.
How to Bet Rangers Moneylines
Moneyline bets are a simple way of wagering on MLB games. All you need to do is pick the winner of the game, and you’ll win your bet.
The odds are quite easy to understand, too. For example, if the Rangers are a (-200) favorite, you would have to bet $20 to win $10. If they’re a (+200) underdog, you can win $20 off a $10 bet.
These odds will change every day depending upon the Rangers’ matchup, so there’s always an opportunity for value every step of the way.
How to Bet Rangers Run Line
Run Line betting is another common way to bet on MLB games, and you’re probably already familiar with it. You may know it as how much a team is “picked by" to win.
If the Rangers are 1.5 run favorites over the Athletics, the Run Line would look something like this: Rangers -1.5 (-200) vs Athletics +1.5 (+200).
In this scenario, the Rangers would have to win by more than one run to cash your bet.
How to Bet Rangers Over/Unders
If you’re unsure about the Rangers’ moneyline or run line on a given day, you can still place a bet on the Over/Under — or total — in the matchup.
Sportsbooks will set a line for how many combined runs they project will be scored. From there, you can bet on the Over or Under.
For example, if you believe in the Rangers’ offense and think it’ll be a high-scoring game, then you’ll want to take the Over. However, if it’s supposed to be more of a pitcher’s duel, you should go with the Under.
