World Series: Game three
Betting tips 
/ Ed Wyatt / 22 October 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now
...although there isn’t really much value in backing the Rangers straight up, there are a couple of other opportunities to look at.
Ed Wyatt was on the money predicting Texas to win Game Two, but he certainly didn't think it would happen the way it did.
The Rangers scraped together two runs in the top of the ninth on sacrifice flies to win a pitcher's duel 2-1. The high-scoring World Series that so many of us tipped has now seen each team score a grand total of four runs in two games.
After Busch Stadium in St. Louis hosted Games One and Two, the series now shifts to Arlington, Texas for Games Three, Four and Five. The Rangers will be confident after getting a split on the road and could actually close the series out without having to go back to Missouri.
The Rangers send Matt Harrison to the mound in Game Three. The lefthander is 1-0 in two playoff starts and one relief appearance, and has an ERA of 4.22. Opposing batters are only hitting .225 against him.
Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa will go with Kyle Lohse, whose numbers are nowhere near as impressive as Harrison's. In fact, if you're a St. Louis fan, they're downright scary. He has never won a playoff game in eight appearances since 2002 (0-4) and this post-season his ERA is 7.45. Look for LaRussa to turn to his bullpen early if Lohse gets in trouble.
The thing to remember is that we're now in an American League stadium, so the 'Designated Hitter' comes into play, although ironically this could help St. Louis more. Red hot Craig Allen, who won Game One with a pinch hit, is now able to slot into the lineup.
I still think Texas will win the Series and they'll probably win this game.
And although there isn't really much value in backing the Rangers straight up, there are a couple of other opportunities to look at.
First of all, I think this could be the game where the hitters break out. The Ballpark at Arlington is a hitter's park and with the weather predicted to be much warmer than in St. Louis, the batters will feel more comfortable and the ball will travel farther. In addition, these are each team's "third" starters, so I can't see this one following the low-scoring trend.
Therefore, I see value in betting the "over" on number of runs scored, as well as taking the Rangers -1.5 runs.
Back Over 9.5 runs scored at $1.98 or better
Back Texas -1.5 runs at $2.10 or better
