Phillies vs Rangers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Opening Day (Trust Philadelphia's Sluggers in Texas)

The 2023 MLB season kicks off with an Opening Day matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. These teams met head-to-head four times last season and the Rangers emerged victorious in each contest, but these rosters have undergone massive changes.

Phillies vs. Rangers Game Info

• Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023
• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Venue: Globe Life Field -- Arlington, TX
• Coverage: ESPN+, NBCSP and BSSW

Both teams will send their aces to the mound with Aaron Nola taking the hill for the Phillies (0.96 WHIP in 2022) and Jacob deGrom getting the nod for the Rangers (2.52 career ERA). Runs figure to be hard to come by in this matchup, so which team will start a new campaign with an exciting win?

Phillies vs. Rangers Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: PHI: (+116) | TEX: (-134)
• Spread: PHI: +1.5 (-200) | TEX: -1.5 (+164)
• Total: 6.5 -- Over: (-105) | Under: (-115)

The Rangers enter this interleague matchup as home favorites on the spread and moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook. This game also has a projected total of 6.5 runs, which is on the lower side for Thursday's games.

Phillies vs. Rangers Betting Trends

• Philadelphia is 2-4 straight up in its last six away games.
• The total has hit the under in 10 of Philadelphia's last 14 games against Texas.
• Texas is 7-0 straight up in its last seven home games against Philadelphia.
• The total has hit the under in five of Texas' last seven games.

Phillies vs. Rangers Prediction & Pick

After making a surprise run to the World Series last year, the Phillies are expected to be a playoff contender again as they boast a projected win total set at 88.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Adding All-Star shortstop Trea Turner and veteran pitcher Taijuan Walker has a lot to do with that.

The Rangers finished with a dismal 68-94 record last season and have not posted a winning mark since 2016. Fans are hoping and overhaul of the starting rotation will get the team back in the playoff race. Texas signed Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney in free agency over the winter.

It's worth noting there isn't much of a home-field advantage here considering the Rangers posted a mediocre 34-47 home record last year, while Philadelphia posted a 40-41 road record. The Phillies have a lineup ready to score a ton of runs and have won four of their last five games on Opening Day.

Final Score Prediction: Phillies: 5 | Rangers: 3

Phillies vs. Rangers Best Bet

The Phillies proved to be road warriors last season and have a great chance to play spoiler in what is deGrom's debut in a Rangers uniform. Manager Rob Thomson's squad got a taste of the postseason last fall and will be trying to build off that momentum early on. It's best to fade a Texas team that has lost five of its last six game on Opening Day as well as five of its last seven home games overall.

Bet: Philadelphia Phillies ML (+116)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.