The Daily Sweat: Rangers can put the Astros down 0-3 in the ALCS
The 2004 Boston Red Sox came back from down 3-0 in an MLB playoff series to win it. That’s still the entire list through 120 years of playoff baseball.
It’s bad enough to be down 2-0 in a series like the Houston Astros are, but 3-0 is pretty much game over. And the Astros have to start their comeback on the road.
The defending champs dropped the first two games of the series in Houston and are +110 underdogs for Game 3 at BetMGM. The Rangers are -130 favorites.
As if the Astros needed more bad news, the Rangers get Max Scherzer back for Game 3. He hasn’t pitched since Sept. 12 due to a shoulder strain. He threw 69 pitches in a simulated game and it seems his pitch count would be somewhere around there. That will be a boost to the team and the home crowd, not that either needs it.
It’s another chapter of the MLB postseason being weird, due to the nature of short series. The Astros won the AL West, but two bad games at home have put them in a serious hole. The Rangers were neck and neck with the Astros throughout the season, but have been the team that got hotter in October.
The series isn’t over, but the Rangers are -500 favorites to win it and advance to the World Series. If the Astros want to make it a series, it better happen Wednesday night.
Here’s the first look at the sports betting slate for Wednesday:
A pair of college football games
We’re still in the time of year in which there is at least one football game every day, and on Wednesday there are two college football games. Sam Houston is a 5.5-point home favorite against Florida International. And New Mexico State is a 3.5-point road favorite against UTEP in the late game.
NHL has 2 games as well
It’s a light night on the ice. The top matchup is a pair of 2-1 teams, as the Pittsburgh Penguins are at the Detroit Red Wings. The Penguins are -130 favorites. In the other game, the Washington Capitals play at the Ottawa Senators. The Senators are -160 favorites.
What’s the best bet?
It’s usually better to go with a winning streak instead of against it. Nobody is hotter than the Rangers. Whether Scherzer is sharp in his return is a concern, but I’m not going against the Rangers when they’re playing this well. I’ll take Texas.