Sportsbook – Major Concerns for AL West Leading Rangers. You may not want to wager on the Texas Rangers at the sportsbook right now. Texas is not quite in San Diego freefall but they do not look good. The Rangers have lost AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton for the foreseeable future and they are also without former Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. The Rangers have not been a profitable team to bet on lately at the sports book.
The Rangers still have a nice lead in the American League West but that is only because no one else is any good. Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels have been below .500 so they are no real threat to Texas. It is a good thing for the Rangers that they have no challengers because Texas is not a very good team right now. They still have a month to get things straightened out before the playoffs begin unless they totally collapse like the Padres have done recently.
Hamilton is a Big Loss – The loss of Josh Hamilton is huge. He bruised his left ribs over the weekend against Minnesota and the prognosis was not good. He could be out for a couple of weeks. Hamilton is the one player that Texas simply can’t afford to be without. He is the big bat in the middle of their lineup that impacts odds at the sports book. Texas has some other hitters like Michael Young and Vladimir Guerrero but Hamilton makes them go.
Lee has been Terrible – Cliff Lee has done nothing since coming over in a trade from Seattle. He recently took an injection in his sore back and missed his last start. Lee was supposed to be the pitcher that the Rangers could depend upon in the playoffs but he has been awful. Lee is 2-5 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts with Texas.
Go Against Texas at the Sportsbook – Before Monday’s action the Rangers had lost 11 of their last 15 games. The upcoming schedule this week is not easy with games at Toronto and then home against the New York Yankees. Texas is a team that you really don’t want to take right now at the SBG global sportsbook and with games against the Blue Jays and Yankees that is not going to change.