The Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers each faced a 3-2 championship series deficit against a reigning pennant winner.
Now, both clubs are in the 2023 World Series.
The Diamondbacks and Rangers won consecutive road games over the defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies and the defending World Series champion Houston Astros, respectively, to reach the Fall Classic.
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Arizona and Texas have taken very similar paths to the World Series, from sweeping their opponents in the wild card and division series before rallying for a championship series triumph -- all while being the lower-seeded team in each matchup. But only one of these epic October runs is going to end in championship glory.
So, who is favored to come out on top?
Who is favored to win the 2023 World Series?
The Rangers, who have home-field advantage, enter the Fall Classic as -182 favorites, according to our betting partner, PointsBet.
Texas is one of six MLB franchises to have never won a World Series. The Rangers reached the World Series in consecutive seasons from 2010 to 2011, but lost both times. They were a strike away from winning the 2011 World Series in six games before the St. Louis Cardinals rallied and claimed the title in seven games.
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, boast +140 odds to take down the Rangers. Arizona won its only World Series appearance back in 2001, which was the just the franchise's fourth season in existence. The D-backs are now looking to add what would be a shocking second title after they entered the 2023 postseason with the fewest wins (84) among all playoff teams.
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.