It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Astros-Rangers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Astros-Rangers.
The Houston Astros have hit another rough patch. They were more than 10 games below .500 early in the season and fought past that horrible stretch of nearly two full months to pull ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the American League West. It seemed that the Astros had fully found their footing and — while not dominant — were going to slowly and steadily rise over the rest of the season.
It hasn't really unfolded that way. The Astros have looked flat as a pancake over the past week, losing home-field series to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays and squandering a lot of good pitching in the process. The bats have fallen silent once again, and the Astros have again fallen behind the Mariners in the West. Monday in Arlington, it was more of the same for Houston, which simply could not produce much offense in a 4-3 loss to the rival Rangers. Houston has been shredded by injuries to its pitching staff this season, and yet the pitchers who have been thrown into the fire have actually done well. It's the hitting which has been the more conspicuous problem for Houston, a team which is near break-even in early August, not the place the Astros ever expect to be.
The Texas Rangers are trying to make a push in the American League West, and they know this series is central to any hopes they have of making themselves relevant heading into September. They got off to a great start with Monday's comeback win. Now they need to see if they can build real momentum. The Rangers are aching to get on one really big run, but it just hasn't happened in the first four months of the season. Can Texas go on a 9-1 or 8-2 stretch of 10 games? Given how much the Astros and the Mariners have struggled, one really good 10-game burst could change the equation in the AL West.
Astros-Rangers Projected Starters
Framber Valdez vs. Tyler Mahle
Framber Valdez (10-5) has a 3.56 ERA. Framber had a weird outing his last time on the bump against the Pirates. He gave up four runs in a nightmarish second inning but threw five scoreless innings surrounding that one disastrous frame. Framber had wipeout stuff, with 10 strikeouts in just six innings. Can he avoid the big inning? That's the big question, because we know how good he can be when he's on.
Last Start: Wednesday, July 31 vs the Pittsburgh Pirates: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 10 K
2024 Road Splits: 9 starts, 53 1/3 IP, 51 H, 26 R, 3 HR, 21 BB, 43 K
Tyler Mahle (8-4) has a 3.38 ERA. Mahle hasn't pitched since late April, but when he did pitch this season for Texas, he was good. The sample size was small, and he didn't throw a ton of innings, but nevertheless, he did well. Now, after a long injury absence, he is being thrust into a high-pressure game against the Rangers' foremost rival. It's quite a test for any pitcher, no matter how experienced or credentialed.
Last Appearance: April 27 vs the Kansas City Royals: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 6 K
2024 Home Splits: 3 starts, 16 1/3 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 3 HR, 1 BB, 16 K
Here are the Astros-Rangers MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Astros-Rangers Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+136)
Moneyline: -126
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-164)
Moneyline: +108
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
How to Watch Astros vs Rangers
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET/5:05 p.m. PT
TV: Space City Home Network (Astros) / Bally Sports Southwest (Rangers) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
Framber Valdez in a big game? The Astros have to like that. Tyler Mahle is a total question mark, too. Proven, experienced pitching? Houston checks that box.
Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rangers love competing against the Astros in what is MLB's most underrated yet important modern rivalry. You saw that on Monday. This team is going all-out to beat Houston and make a charge at the division title. The Rangers look like the team with more energy, and that will prove decisive here.
Final Astros-Rangers Prediction & Pick
We're leaning to the Astros because of the pitching matchup, but these teams play very close and tense games. We think you should pass.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Astros-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Astros moneyline
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