Oddsmakers Don't Believe in Rangers' Rebound, But Some of Us Do

Last year the wise guys who set sports betting odds for a living established the Rangers’ over/under win total at 89.5. I took the under, but had no idea they would stumble and eventually crumble into 95 losses, or a whopping 22 wins shy of their projected total.

This year? Not much belief in the Rangers’ rebound strategy founded mainly upon the theory of improving from within with better health. The number set at popular betting site Bovada.com is … 77.5.

Yikes.

A team that won 90+ games in four of the past five seasons is now predicted to swirl around the bottom of the AL West drain with around 85 losses? The Angels are projected as the best in the West at 89.5 wins, followed by the Mariners at 86.5 and A’s at 80.5. The Astros are below Texas, with a total of 74.5.

Yes, the Rangers are coming off a disastrous season in which they lost a ton of games and their manager. But much of the slow start was due to a correctable problem – injuries.

I’m not saying the Rangers will return to glory, win the West and sniff the World Series. But I do believe enough in the returns of Derek Holland and Prince Fielder and Jurickson Profar and Shin-Soo Choo that they can be a .500 squad.

Take the over. The Rangers will win between 81-85 games.

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A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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