Rangers vs. Dodgers: LA favored to open series vs. defending champs

Kyle Madson

Rangers vs. Dodgers: LA favored to open series vs. defending champs image

The Dodgers are back home at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday to open up a three-game series against the defending champion Texas Rangers. 

While Texas is coming off its first ever World Series title, they're not picking up where they left off. The Rangers will enter Dodger Stadium sporting a 31-34 record after consecutive series losses to the Tigers and Giants. 

With LA coming off a series win against the Yankees in New York, it's not a huge surprise they're favored in the series opener. Here's what the betting lines look like on BetMGM: 

Run line

Rangers +1.5: -160
Dodgers -1.5: +135

Moneyline

Rangers: +125
Dodgers: -150

Total

Over 9 runs: -110
Under 9 runs: -110

Prediction

James Paxton is on the bump for the Dodgers against Dane Dunning for the Rangers. Neither pitcher has been great this season and Paxton is coming off his worst start of the year where he gave up six hits and seven runs (six earned) in 1.2 innings against the Yankees. This Rangers offense isn't half as dangerous as the Yankees offense though which bodes well for a Paxton bounce-back start. He's started two games after allowing four-plus runs this season and allowed a combined one run in those two starts. 

On the other side the Dodgers offense looks like its rounding back into form with the bottom of the order starting to pick up some slack when the top of the order isn't hitting. Expect the likes of Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani to put together a strong series against the Rangers starting with Game 1. 

Dodgers 6, Rangers 3

Kyle Madson

Kyle Madson Photo

Kyle Madson neither likes writing about himself nor writing in the third person. Nevertheless, he persists. While Kyle has spent most of his writing career covering the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers, he’s never lost the love of baseball that has resided in the deepest recesses of his soul since he began playing T-ball at 4 years old (no matter how hard John Fisher has tried). Aside from writing, Kyle also hosts a radio show, the Insiders, with James Ham on ESPN 1320 in Sacramento. When he’s not being a sports dork, Kyle loves being a normal dork and traveling, visiting museums, diving further into K-Pop fandom (#SKZ) and hanging out with his wife and cats. Don’t follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @KyleAMadson.