The way that road teams have played over the course of the first few days of the 2015 postseason, the Toronto Blue Jays certainly aren't finished with the playoffs. Yes, they're down 2-0 to the Texas Rangers, but that doesn't mean the men from Arlington are out of the woods yet even though Game 3 is a potential close out game at home.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Jays were the favorites to win the World Series at the start of this postseason, so maybe it shouldn't be surprising that they are -140 favorites to win Game 3 even though they are on the road.
The total for this game is the highest we have seen thus far in the postseason in any series at 9.5, which might be a bit surprising considering how many unders we have seen thus far.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Conventional wisdom suggests that the Rangers don't have enough pitching depth to win the World Series, and having to throw Martin Perez in Game 3 highlights just that. Perez went just 3-6 in his 14 starts this year, leading Texas to a 7-7 record in that span. His 4.46 ERA and 1.42 WHIP are woeful for a playoff starter, but he gets the ball in this game after allowing just one earned run in his last 13 innings of work.
Marco Estrada was your prototypical No. 3 pitcher this year on a good team. His splits suggest worse than a 13-8 record, and a 3.13 ERA wasn't as spectacular as it seems.
Estrada only faced the Rangers once this year back in August, allowing one run in six innings.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"This is an uphill battle, but it's been done before. Our backs are against the wall. It's not where you want to be, but that's what we're faced with." – Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the battle the Jays are looking at starting in Game 3 of the ALDS
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Rangers have had to pitch 11 innings in this series in relief, and they have been insanely good no matter who has been out there. Yes, this unit has been used a lot, but so has Toronto's pen, and the day off should reset just about everyone. But if Texas' pen continues to allow one run for every 11 innings it pitches, this series is as good as over.
PROP TALK
Part of the reason the Rangers have been so darn good in these playoffs is because Delino DeShields Jr. has been tearing it up at the top of order setting the table. He has seven hits in his last three games including a pair of doubles, and he might be the best man to bet on for prop purposes in Game 3.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
There's just far too much action on the Blue Jays in this game from our standpoint. Texas can play some ball, and part of the reason it ultimately won the AL West was because it played so well here at home in September. If the Jays think they're just going to march in here with Estrada and cut the 2-0 deficit in half with the way they aren't hitting the baseball, they're sorely mistaken.
We like Texas to close out this series on Sunday to earn a few extra days off.
Texas 4, Toronto 3
The MLB lines for this Sunday contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! Game 3 of the ALDS pitting the Toronto Blue Jays versus the Texas Rangers will commence at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 11, 2015 at Globe Life Park. The matchup will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
