Sport DFW's Best Dallas Betting Picks for 7/19 (Rangers Stay Hot, Astros Bounce Back)
By Tyler Maher
Tuesday was a good day for Dallas baseball fans as the Rangers won again and the Astros lost, extending our lead in the AL West to 4.5 games. We've got betting picks for both teams today as well as a surprise basketball bet for you.
Here are our editors' top betting picks for July 19.
Dallas Best Bets: July 19, 2023
Tyler Maher: Rangers Moneyline vs. Rays
The Rangers emerged victorious again on Tuesday, beating the Rays for the second day in a row and improving their record to 5-0 since the All-Star Break.
Not surprisingly, we like their chances to make that 6-0 on Wednesday. Texas will shoot for the sweep this afternoon at home behind Jon Gray, who’s been solid as usual this year. His 3.45 ERA is actually the best of his career and he’s finished 6 innings in three consecutive starts.
Tampa Bay has completely fallen apart in July, going 3-10 this month with a -14 run differential. That includes three straight losses coming into Wednesday, and a turnaround seems unlikely with Zack Littell on the mound.
Littell will be used as an opener, but his numbers have been brutal this year. He’s got a 6.05 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP in 14 appearances, which is pretty gross. He had a 5.08 ERA last year, too, so his poor performance thus far doesn’t seem like a fluke.
The Rangers have been crushing the ball all year and are averaging 5.21 runs per game in July. The Rays, on the other hand, are in a massive funk offensively and are averaging just 3.54 runs per game this month.
We’re recommending Texas on the moneyline here, but don’t be afraid to back them on the runline if you’re feeling extra confident.
Jason Schandl: Astros Runline @ Rockies
It was lovely to see the Astros blow a very winnable game on Tuesday, letting the Rangers extend their lead in the AL Central, but don’t count on that happening twice. Getting to face Austin Gomber at Coors Field is a spot that’s hard to blow.
Gomber has a brutal 6.19 ERA on the year, managing to take a step back from the already terrible 5.56 mark he posted in 2022. He’s getting dinged for nearly 2 home runs per 9 innings (1.97), and while you can’t fully fault him when he pitches his home games at Coors, that’s a factor he’ll have to deal with today as well.
Houston's offense couldn’t get much going yesterday, but it's still an above-average group that should have no trouble taking advantage of such a soft matchup here.
Isaiah De Los Santos: Bleed Green Moneyline vs. Rise & Grind
This year’s The Basketball Tournament, which is known for its $1 million grand prize, officially tips off on Wednesday. Texas will have plenty of representation in the event, including an entire squad made up of primarily University of North Texas alums, Bleed Green.
If you’re unfamiliar with Bleed Green, they became Cinderella darlings during the 2022 TBT. Despite being underdogs as a first-year team, BG made it all the way to the Round of 16, where they fell by just one point to the No. 1 seed, the Aftershocks.
Now, Bleed Green is back and better than ever, boasting a great mix of veterans who play professionally overseas and recent members of the North Texas men’s basketball team, including Kai Huntsberry (class of 2023) and Thomas Bell (class of 2022). BG’s top two leading scorers from a year ago, Brandon Jefferson (19.3 PPG) and Jordan Stevens (18.7 PPG), return as well to steer this ship.
The Jefferson-Stevens duo gives Bleed Green a pair of dependable veteran scorers who can get them big buckets, just like when the latter hit a game-winning three for the team to advance last year. Their experience from a deep run last TBT should help them dispatch newcomer Rise & Grind with ease on Wednesday.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.