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The Texas Rangers will open a new three-game series against the Houston Astros. We are at Minute Maid Park, sharing our MLB odds series, making a Rangers-Astros prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Rangers come into this game and series with the Astros with plenty of positives to look for. Now, they hope to take down their division rivals. The Rangers lost two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, they are 7-3 in the last 10 games and 10-8 in July. The Rangers will look to bounce back from this weekend's series and keep their grasp on first place.
The Astros come into this series with momentum. Thus, they will be gunning for that division title. The Astros took three of four from the Oakland Athletics this past weekend. Furthermore, they went 6-3 on this road trip. The Astros are 11-7 in July so far.
Jon Gray will get the start today and comes in with a record of 6-5 with a 3.31 ERA. Ultimately, he tossed 4 1/3 innings of shutout baseball while allowing eight hits in his last outing. Gray had to leave the game early after he took a line drive off the shin. Now, he hopes to bounce back and avoid injury. Brandon Bielak will make the start for the Astros and comes in with a 5-5 record and a 3.46 ERA. Significantly, he went 5 2/3 innings in his last start while not allowing a run and just one hit.
The Rangers are 59-41 and first in the AL West. Meanwhile, the Astros are 56-44 and three games behind them. The Astros lead the season series 4-3.
Here are the Rangers-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Astros Odds
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+146)
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-178)
Over: 8.5 (-115)
Under: 8.5 (-105)
How To Watch Rangers vs. Rangers
TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest and Bally Sports Southwest
Stream: MLB TV and MLB Extra Innings
Time: 8:11 PM ET/5:11 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers lead the majors in hitting, on-base percentage, and runs. Additionally, they are sixth in home runs and second in slugging percentage. The Rangers hope their players keep the offense rolling.
Nathaniel Lowe is batting .283 with 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 64 runs. Meanwhile, Marcus Semien is hitting .273 with 14 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 78 runs. Josh Jung is batting .273 with 19 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 62 runs. Likewise, Jonah Heim is hitting .282 with 14 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 47 runs. But the Rangers will likely not have the services of Adolis Garcia. Sadly, he exited Saturday's game with an injury. Garcia is batting .260 with 24 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 74 runs. Thus, not having him in the lineup is a big loss for the Rangers, especially against the Astros.
Gray will lead a team that currently ranks 13th in ERA. Unfortunately, the bullpen continues to struggle. The Rangers hope Gray can give them a good outing to prevent another bullpen collapse.
The Rangers will cover the spread if their offense can manage some runs. Then, Gray must go at least six innings to give the Rangers a chance.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
The Astros have dealt with plenty of injuries to their offense. Therefore, they have not been able to establish the consistency to produce a good lineup. It is the reason they are 17th in batting average and 19th in on-base percentage. Regardless, they are still 12th in runs, 11th in home runs, and 13th in slugging percentage.
The Astros are still without Yordan Alvarez. Additionally, they do not have Jose Altuve for a short while as he is dealing with a new injury. Alvarez was batting .264 with six home runs, 18 RBIs, and 25 runs. However, Houston still has some options. Alex Bregman is hitting .252 with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 58 runs. Also, Chas McCormick is batting .282 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 30 runs. Kyle Tucker is hitting .302 with 17 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 52 runs. Meanwhile, Yandy Diaz is batting .262 with 10 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 23 runs.
But the Astros are a solid pitching team. Furthermore, they are the second-best team in baseball in pitching. They have one of the best bullpens in baseball and can get the job done when they have a lead.
The Astros will cover the spread if they can get to Gray early and get him into trouble. Then, they need to overcome this dangerous Texas lineup.
Final Rangers-Astros Prediction & Pick
Gray is an excellent pitcher and will be on his game against a Houston lineup that is still hurting. Therefore, expect the Rangers to excel at this game and take down the Astros in Houston.
Final Rangers-Astros Prediction & Pick: Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+146)
