- Monday's 11-2 win over the White Sox moved the Rangers into sole possession of first place in the AL West.
- Bovada prices Houston at +110 to win the division, ahead of Texas at +200 and Seattle at +220.
- Texas sits at 66-66, the only first-place team in baseball without a winning record.
- Corey Seager drove in three runs and Kumar Rocker struck out eight in the win.
HOUSTON- An 11-2 Monday rout of the Chicago White Sox put the Texas Rangers alone atop the AL West for the first time since July 30, yet Bovada's division futures board still lists the Houston Astros as the +110 favorite.
A .500 Team in First Place
Corey Seager had three hits and three RBIs, home runs came from Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford, and Kumar Rocker rang up eight strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings as Texas piled up 14 hits to Chicago's 5. The win moved the Rangers to 66-66 and a half-game ahead of Houston, which fell into a share of the lead Sunday after blowing a six-run lead against the last-place Athletics.
That makes Texas the only first-place team in the majors without a winning record. Every other division leader is at least five games over .500, which is exactly why the AL West is the one division race still carrying three live tickets in USA online sportsbooks futures markets this late in August.
The Market Has Not Moved Off Houston
Bovada's division board prices the race tighter than the standings read:
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| Team | Record | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | 65-66 | +110 |
| Texas Rangers | 66-66 | +200 |
| Seattle Mariners | 63-69 | +220 |
A half-game lead with roughly 30 games left has not been enough to flip the book: Houston trails in the standings and still costs more than either team chasing it on the board. For MLB betting, that gap is the whole decision.
Texas pays double on a team already in front, which means the price is doing the arguing for Houston's roster and schedule rather than the standings. Seattle, three games back at 63-69, is priced within a hair of Texas, so the book treats all three as alive and none as likely.
Whether any of the three gets to a winning record first may decide the race before the schedule does. Monday's rout opened a three-game set in Chicago between two division leaders, and the Rangers get two more cracks at padding the lead before the series closes Wednesday.
