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WS Game 6 betting preview: Rays turn to Snell in must-win situation

Cooper Neill / Major League Baseball / Getty

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Another day, another winner. We are up to 4-1 with our best bets through five games of this World Series, with the only loss coming when Randy Arozarena hit a meaningless two-out home run in the bottom of the ninth to spoil our under.

We have limited time left, so let's keep making it count.

Rays (+130) at Dodgers (-150), 8:08 p.m. ET

We have nearly reached the point in the series where anything goes. It's not quite Game 7 anarchy where you're trotting anyone and everyone out of the bullpen, but Dave Roberts will look to get creative with who follows starter Tony Gonsolin.

Roberts said Julio Urias and Walker Buehler will be unavailable to pitch, as will Clayton Kershaw, but take that with a grain of salt. Everything is possible in an elimination game. Urias - who started Game 4 - could offer up an inning in relief on short rest. It's also not out of the realm of possibility that Wednesday's scheduled starter, Buehler, could be called upon here if the Dodgers are positioned to avoid a dreaded Game 7. Dustin May threw five outs Sunday but is likely to pitch again out of the bullpen Tuesday, as he's done throughout the postseason.

That makes things a bit difficult to cap from a betting perspective, as there are so many routes Roberts could take with his staff. Instead, we have to stick with what we know. Gonsolin will be pitching in Game 6, and he's had a rough postseason. He threw just 1 1/3 innings during his short-lived Game 2 outing, allowing a home run and a walk. Gonsolin's surrendered eight runs in 7 2/3 postseason innings thus far, issuing seven free passes.

May, who we'll probably see in Game 6, also hasn't had a very convincing playoffs. He registered his first clean outing since Oct. 12 in Game 5, but May's still allowed five runs on 10 hits and five walks over 7 2/3 innings in the NLCS and World Series combined. The right-hander allows a lot of contact, which bodes well for a Rays lineup that has its issues with striking out. With those two likely to kick things off for L.A., Tampa Bay will have its opportunities to jump out to an early lead.

For the Rays, Blake Snell will get the start Tuesday. Snell didn't surrender a hit against the first 17 batters he faced in Game 2 before running into trouble in the fifth. He followed a walk with a home run, allowed the next two batters to reach safely, and failed to get out of the inning.

It's hard to project that sort of trouble from a guy who was cruising at the time, but Snell has allowed a .304/.304/.609 slash line to hitters his third time through the order this season. It could wind up being a shorter outing for him as a result, but expect a spirited effort from the former Cy Young winner with the Rays' backs against the wall to at least put them in a position to win this game.

Pick: Rays first five innings (+115)*

*ties push

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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