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It is now a best-of-three series as the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers each have two wins and they play game five of the ALCS. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with an ALCS Game 5 Astros-Rangers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
After losing the first two games of the series at home, the Astros have made a comeback in this series. In the home game, the Astros struggled to score, plating just four runs in the two games. In game three, the Astros were able to get to Max Scherzer. The first run of the game was on a wild pitch, but a Martin Maldonado single would make it 3-0 in the second inning. Jose Altuve would add to the lead with a home run in the third, and the Astros would drive home their fifth run in the fourth inning. A Josh Jung two-run shot would make it 5-2, but a seventh-inning Yordan Alvarez single would make it 7-2 and put the game out of reach, as the Astros would win 8-5.
In game four, the runs came early for the Astros. Alex Bregman tripled home two and then scored on a Yordan Alvarez single. Still, Adolis Garcia would hit a home run and a Josh Jung sac fly would make it 3-2 in the second. Corey Seager homered to give the Rangers the lead, but that would be their last runs in the game, as they tied the game at three. The Astros would score four in the fourth with the help of a Jose Abreu home run, and plate three more later to win 10-3 and tie the series.
Here are the Astros-Rangers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
ALCS Odds: Astros-Rangers Game 5 Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+160)
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-194)
Over: 9 (-102)
Under: 9 (-120)
How To Watch Astros vs. Rangers Game 5
Time: 5:07 PM ET/ 2:07 PM PT
TV: FS1
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
For the Astros, it has been the offense to carry them in the last two games. They have had some very hot bats so far in the playoffs, led by Yordan Alvarez. Alvarez has been hitting .419 in the playoffs so far with a .457 on-base percentage. He has six home runs and two doubles, which have helped him drive in 13 runs so far in the playoffs. Alvarez has also scored 11 times so far, scoring 11 of the 15 times he has been on base so far. Joining him in driving in runs has been Jose Abreu. Abreu has hit just .258 with a .343 on-base percentage. Still, he has four home runs and a double, which have helped him drive in 11 runs and score six times.
Scoring is something Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve have been doing. Bregman has scored six times so far in the playoffs. He is hitting just .200 but has a .314 on-base percentage with a triple and two home runs. That has led to him driving in five runs. Altuve is hitting .265 with a .306 on-base percentage. He has two home runs as well, but both are solo home runs and are his only two RBIs. Still, he also has two doubles and has scored seven times so far in the playoffs.
As a team, the Astros are hitting .254 in the playoffs with a .321 on-base percentage. They have 16 home runs and scored 42 runs so far. That is on an expected run score of 42 so far in the playoffs.
The Astros will be sending Justin Verlander to the mound to get them the win in game five. He was 13-8 during the regular season with a 3.22 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. His ERA ranked ninth in the majors, while his WHIP was good for 14th. He has pitched in two games in the playoffs so far, going 12.2 innings, giving up ten hits, but just two runs. That is good for a 1.42 ERA, but a 1-1 record. Last time out, he gave up two runs, but the Astros failed to score and he took the loss.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers have just lost their first two games of the playoffs so far, and the issue in those two has been pitching. In the seven wins before the two losses, they have given up just 16 runs. In the last two games, they have given up 18 runs.
The Rangers will be sending Jordan Montgomery to the mound today to make the start and slow down the Astros. He was 10-11 this year with a 3.20 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. In the playoffs, he has been solid. Montgomery has pitched 17.1 innings, giving up five runs with four earned. That is good for a 2.08 ERA. Further, all of the runs came in one start. In that one against the Orioles, he went four innings giving up five runs, four earned. Last time out he went 6.1 innings giving up five hits and a walk, but no runs and coming away with a win.
At the plate, it has been the combination of Mitch Garver, Josh Jung, and Adolis Garcia leading the way. Garver is hitting just .208 with a .269 on-base percentage, but he has a home run and a double, which has led to eight RBIs. He has also scored four times. Jung has been hot, hitting .324 so far in the playoffs. He has three home runs, three doubles, and a triple in the playoffs, making seven of his 11 hits for extra bases. Meanwhile, he also has eight RBIs and has scored eight times.
Garcia is hitting .282 with three home runs and a double. That has helped him drive in eight runs and score five times so far in the playoffs. The hottest bat in the lineup may be Corey Seager. HJe is hitting .355 in the playoffs with a .524 on-base percentage. Seager has three doubles and two home runs, but just four RBIS with that. Still, he has scored eight times in the playoffs so far.
Final Astros-Rangers Game 5 Prediction & Pick
This series has made a quick turn, as the Rangers had a two-game lead evaporate at home. The pitching match-up in game five is solid, and a repeat of game one of the series. Both Justin Verlander and Jordan Montgomery pitched into the seventh innings, meaning, this will be their fourth time through the order in this game. The prediction in this Astros-Rangers game five is that four times through the order will make a difference. Neither pitcher will go deep, meaning two things. First, the hotter bats will prevail, and that favors the Astros. Second, the better bullpen will prevail. That favors the Astros as well. Take the Astros to take a 3-2 series lead in this one.
Final Astros-Rangers Game 5 Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+160)
