Sportsbook numbers on the Texas Rangers should have them as contenders in 2010 and if you listen to Rangers’ president Nolan Ryan, they should win the American League West. The Rangers are not the favorite in odds at the Internet sportsbook but they are a contender.
Sportsbook had Ryan saying that he expects the team to win 92 games. “I just feel like that’s a number that this ballclub should be able to reach,” Ryan said, “It’s hard to sit here before we play a spring game and predict, but I feel like we have the depth and talent and we’re capable of doing that.” Last Internet sportsbook baseball season, the Rangers won 87 games and that was good for second place in the American League West. The problem for the Rangers in sportsbook odds is that they were still 10 games behind the Los Angeles Angels. “Anything can happen. The division could be balanced and you beat up on each other and you might win the division with 87 wins.”
The Rangers definitely can compete in the division and the Angels may not be as good versus sportsbook odds as they were last year. The problem for Texas in sportsbook baseball lines is that Seattle looks a lot better than they did a year ago so they are going to be tough. “A lot of people won’t agree with me,” Ryan said. “They’ll say the Angels have more established starting pitching and Seattle has improved and their pitching is good.
All those things are true. But I also think that we have a balanced ballclub and I think our club is coming together in a way that I think they are ready to make that move. There are so many factors that come into play, but I don’t think we’re asking players to perform like they haven’t before. The key is to stay healthy.” This is the third Internet sportsbook baseball year that Ryan has been the president of the Rangers. He is expected to be come part owner of the team.
Texas is getting some respect at the sportsbook in future odds to win the World Series. The Rangers are 20-1 and while they are not the favorite at the sportsbook they are definitely in the darkhorse category. The New York Yankees are favored to repeat as World Series champs as they have odds at the Internet sportsbook of 3.5 to 1.