How Much Have the Rangers’ Moves Impacted Their Betting Odds?
The Texas Rangers are going for it.
Texas has been active the past few offseasons, and they are loading up even more at this year's trade deadline, making a couple of moves this past weekend.
The biggest trade came on Saturday as the Rangers added future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer, sending prospect Luisangel Acuna to the New York Mets to get the three-time Cy Young winner.
Taking things to the Max. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/cgGJPR7wUQ
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 30, 2023
Scherzer's numbers have slipped a bit in 2023, but he's a guy with playoff experience and gives the Rangers an ace to trust down the stretch. Plus, it's not like the 39-year-old has been bad as he owns a 3.81 SIERA and 27.3% strikeout rate through 19 starts.
The Rangers followed up the acquisition of Scherzer by making another deal for rotation help, bringing in Jordan Montgomery from the St. Louis Cardinals along with reliever Chris Stratton.
Let's take a look at how these moves have impacted Texas' betting odds, according to the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Texas Rangers Betting Odds
- AL West: -135
- American League: +350
- World Series: +800
The busy weekend has cemented Texas' standing as one of baseball's best teams, and their numbers have shortened in a couple of markets as a result of the deals.
Before the Scherzer trade on Saturday, the Rangers had +450 odds to win the American League. That number has since improved to +350 -- the second-best clip behind the Tampa Bay Rays (+280).
The same goes for the Rangers' World Series odds. Heading into the weekend, Texas was at +1100 to win the title, and they are now at +800, trailing only the Atlanta Braves (+300), Los Angeles Dodgers (+450), and Rays (+650).
Things actually went the other way in the AL West market. Prior to Saturday, Texas was at -150 to win the division. That has since shifted to -135, but that's more due to the Rangers losing to the San Diego Padres on both Saturday and Sunday than it is a reflection of the Rangers' trades.
Texas has gone all in for the playoff push, and at this point, they may not be done. Plus, with Scherzer opting in on his 2024 option, this could mean even more than just a push for 2023. These are exciting times in Texas.
The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.