Rangers vs. Diamondbacks: World Series Game 3 Predictions, Picks and Odds

The Arizona Diamondbacks lived up to their ‘Answerbacks’ moniker in Game 2 of the World Series, routing the Texas Rangers after a ninth-inning implosion the game before.

The World Series is now knotted at 1 heading into a crucial Game 3 at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The Diamondbacks have been the underdogs in all 14 of their playoff games so far and that trend will continue by the narrowest of margins on Monday.

Here is a look at the MLB betting odds, according to BetMGM on October 30th.

Moneyline: Rangers -115; Diamondbacks -105
Total Runs: 9

Texas is the road favorite and much of it will come down to the performance of Max Scherzer. The fireballer has been dominant for the vast majority of his career but has an ERA of 9.45 in the playoffs and has dealt with injuries this year.

If the Diamondbacks touch him up with the long ball, which has been an Achilles heel this season, they will be in great shape. But Scherzer’s regular season numbers were still pretty solid even at age-38 and I fear he will win the battle against Arizona’s lineup.

Rangers vs. Diamondbacks World Series Game 3 Betting Prediction

Max Scherzer had a career-high home run rate allowed of 1.65 per nine innings in the regular season and it’s up to 2.70 in the playoffs.

If he can’t keep the ball in the park, the Rangers will be in trouble. But the playoff issues are in a small sample, and Scherzer still finished the regular season with a 3.77 ERA despite the tendency to give up the long ball.

The D-Backs might get him once, but if it’s of the solo variety it’s not going to be a game-changing blast.

Brandon Pfaadt will take the mound for the Diamondbacks, and he’s been great this postseason. But he’s a youngster who was inconsistent during the season and is facing a lineup that is not easy to handle.

Manager Torey Lovullo has taken Pfaadt out after 18 batters in the playoffs, and if that happens again it means a lot will be on the middle relievers to keep Texas at bay.

I worry that there is some vulnerability there before getting to the late-inning group.

Prediction: Rangers 5, Diamondbacks 4

Prop Bet Pick: Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll To Hit A Home Run (+550)

Scherzer is home run prone, and it seems likely Carroll gets three at-bats against him in this game.

Carroll popped 25 home runs in the regular season and 21 of them were against right-handed pitchers. This is a longshot bet of course, as they always are, but I like the righty-vs-lefty matchup and the fact that Carroll seems to have broken out of a mini-slump. These odds are longer than Evan Longoria and Ketel Marte, which I think constitutes better value.

He will get multiple at-bats against Scherzer and then others against relievers that he has seen earlier in the series. Despite his diminutive frame, Carroll has home run pop, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him launch one in Game 3 of the World Series.

Prediction: Corbin Carroll to Hit a Home Run (+550 at BetMGM)

How to Watch Diamondbacks vs. Rangers World Series Game 3

The Arizona Diamondbacks will host the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the World Series at 8:03 p.m. ET on Monday, October 30, 2023, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. The game can be seen on FOX.