Two First Place Teams Will Battle It Out In the MLB Betting Odds

With the MLB Betting Odds now out, there’ll be a pair of first place teams going head-to-head on Sunday afternoon. But if you’re looking for the Yankees, Red Sox or Angels, think again.

Nope, this matchup is between the Orioles and Rangers.

Texas Rangers (6-0 SU, 5-1 R/L, 4-2 O/U) at Baltimore Orioles (5-1 SU, 5-1 R/L, 2-4 ATS)

Sunday, April 10: 1:35 p.m. Live from Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

Betting Odds:

Texas:

(Derek Holland-L)

Baltimore:

(Jeremy Guthrie-R)

And honestly, if you saw these two as your MLB Betting Odds divisional leaders at this point in the season, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back. Because while Texas came into this season with some expectations, Baltimore had none at all.

Much of the credit for the Orioles early success needs to go to manager Buck Showalter. After taking over late last season, he led the club to a winning record, before jumping out to a 5-1 star this year.

And really, Showalter’s greatest contribution has come with this year’s pitching staff. After struggling year after year against the big boys in the AL East, the Orioles enter this MLB Betting Odds matchup with the best team ERA in baseball, with a staggering 2.33 mark. Sunday’s starter Jeremy Guthrie is no exception, as in his first trip to the mound this season, he threw eight scoreless innings in a 4-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Of course going against a struggling Tampa Bay lineup is quite a different challenge than going against one of the best in baseball in Texas. The Rangers enter this one as hot as anyone in the big league’s as they rank in the Top 5 in baseball in both runs (seven per game) and team batting average (.284) overall. Nelson Cruz in particular has been phenomenal early, with a .350 average and four home runs.

However, the secret to the Rangers success in Sunday’s MLB Betting Picks could be pitcher Derek Holland.

While you might not have heard of Holland coming into this year, for all intents and purposes, he’s a rising star. Just 25-years-old and blessed with nasty stuff, Holland is due for a big season. In his first start, Holland threw six innings, and struck out five, while allowing three runs against the Mariners. Going up against a Baltimore lineup which has yet to keep up with their pitching staff (a respectable 4.83 runs per game, but a sorry .233 team batting average), Holland should have the first of many big starts Sunday.

Ultimately no one knows whether this run for Baltimore and Texas will last. But right now, both these teams are playing some great baseball.

Look for an exciting back-and-forth game Sunday, but ultimately a Rangers win. Take them in the MLB Betting Odds!

MLB Betting Odds Pick: Texas