The World Series kicks off today as the unexpected Arizona Diamondbacks make their first visit back since 2001 when they beat the three-time defending World Series champions New York Yankees.

Yes, it’s been over two decades since they’ve made it to the World Series, but the D-Backs are up against the Texas Rangers who surprisingly have only been to the World Series twice before this year since moving to Arlington and becoming the Rangers back in 1972.

Crazy, right? Looks like we have two Cinderella stories on our hands and only one will be dubbed World Champs. For the first time ever in MLB postseason history, the two road teams in the ALCS and NLCS won both games 6 and 7, knocking off the higher seed.

Not the World Series everyone had predicted but here we are. Now the question is, who should you roll with?

With a lot of the experts leaning on the Rangers, I tend to lean in favor of the Diamondbacks. I have them winning it all this year as Bodog Sportsbooks’ odds are set for Arizona at +152 (bet $10 to win $15,20).

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But why the Diamondbacks? Glad you asked, here’s 4 reasons as to why you should take the snakes over the Rangers in this fall classic.

1. Pitching

I find the Diamondbacks pitching to be a bit more trustworthy going into this matchup. While everyone (including myself) had the Phillies to take care of business against the D-Backs, their pitching is what kept them in contention and eventually knocked them out in 7. 

Arizona’s bullpen has been absolutely dominant since September putting up a 2.32 ERA which is absolutely vital to a team making a championship run. Once the trade deadline came and went, the D-Backs were buyers and picked up Seattle’s closer Paul Seawald which has cemented this pen and has brought upon scary hours to every team they face. Combine that with their elite starting pitching including Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Cy Young nominee Zac Gallen, I’ll take that over dusty old Scherzer any day.

2. Hitting/Baserunning

The Rangers definitely have more power in their lineup. Garcia has been on a tear and top to bottom their lineup has way more pop. It’s base running that the Diamondbacks have found their stride with over the course of the postseason that will be the difference maker. October baseball is more of a chess match and Arizona strikes out much less than Texas. More restraint at the plate and smart base running will be a key differentiator in this series, which could be decided by a base or two. Lead by Marte and Carroll, I give the edge to the snakes on the pads.

3. Underdogs On The Road

The D-Backs are not scared to step into hostile environments, and you don’t need to look any further than the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park. I know I’m bringing up the 2001 Diamondbacks again when they won with Hall Of Famer Randy Johnson, but that was 4 years after the expansion team came into the league. They turned around a roster that defeated the Yankees who won 3 straight going into that year. Obviously far removed, but that’s the same mentality this young D-Backs squad showed against the Phillies.

Although their away record was 41-40 during the regular season amounting to an 84-78 season, the Diamondbacks have been 6-2 on the road this postseason. They need to steal one on the road, two, well that gives them a real good shot at taking this thing.

4. Cheering For Ex-Blue Jays

While the Dalton Varsho trade looked good in the offseason, it really burns to see Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr in the World Series with their new team. These young guns have something to prove and have shown zero signs of shying away from the moment and neither has this entire Diamondbacks squad. It’s amazing to see these former Blue Jays have breakout postseasons and really makes you question our front office.

Okay, I won’t get started on that. As for Semien, well, he left and took the money as he should have. There will always be a bit of a rivalry between Toronto and Texas and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Jays fan routing for the Rangers to win.

Bodog has the Rangers to open Game 1 of the World Series tonight as favorites (-164) as the D-backs (+138) make their way to Arlington. If the Diamondbacks are to take a game on the road, this might be the one.