The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros will finish their three-game series on Thursday in Houston. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Rangers-Astros prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Texas, after a whirlwind of an offseason, sits at 49-61, 21 games out in the AL West, and nine in the wild card race. There are plenty of intriguing pieces on the roster and the upper levels of the minors, but alas, those pieces have not led to success this season.
Houston has been the envy of the league since going through a lengthy rebuild at the beginning of the 2010s. Now, Houston is tied for the second-best record in the MLB at 71-41. Yes, it is only August, but Houston has all but wrapped up the AL West crown.
Here are the Rangers-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rangers-Astros Odds
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (+105)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (-126)
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
Texas signed two prominent middle infielders this offseason, adding Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. The two have been great this season, combining for 41 home runs and 31 doubles in 2022. Semien has added 19 stolen bases, one of three Rangers batters with double-digit stolen bases. As a team, Texas is second in the league with 86 stolen bases. Their 136 home runs are tied for eighth in the league. The offense has not been an issue for Texas, as seven players have reached double-digit home run totals. Adolis Garcia has belted 19 home runs and a team-leading 71 RBI. Catcher Jonah Heim, in his first extended playing time, has hit 13 home runs with a .442 slugging percentage.
It is no secret that pitching has been the kryptonite for this team. Texas' 4.05 ERA ranks 20th in the league, and their 1.31 WHIP is 22nd. This afternoon, lefty Cole Ragans will be making his second career start. If you don't know the story of Cole Ragans, do yourself a favor and google it. Ragans debuted spectacularly last week against the Chicago White Sox, tossing five innings with just one unearned run. Texas' bullpen is slightly above-average, with their 3.72 ERA ranking 12th in the league. Lefties Brock Burke and Matt Moore have combined to a 1.58 ERA in 108.2 innings. Jonathan Hernandez has been solid in his eight innings, with a 2.25 ERA and two saves.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Houston has almost no holes on their roster following the trade deadline. Catcher Christian Vazquez is a clear upgrade, and Trey Mancini is finally playing for a contender. These two additions have added fuel to the fire of an already potent offense. Yordan Alvarez has 31 home runs and a .401 on-base percentage, both tops on the team. Kyle Tucker has chipped in with 20 home runs and 16 stolen bases. As a team, Houston has launched 154 home runs, third-most in the league, and their 194 doubles are ninth-most in the league. Alex Bregman has overcome his slow start and has rebounded to a .251 batting average with 56 RBI.
Houston will send lefty Framber Valdez to the mound this afternoon. Valdez has a 2.87 ERA in his 21 starts, including two complete games. Valdez is the only member of the starting rotation with less than double-digit home runs surrendered. Valdez's high spin curveball is epic, and batters have hit just .151 against it, striking out 76 times. The Houston bullpen is arguably the best group in the league, with a league-leading 2.72 ERA, striking out 375 batters in 341 innings. Rafael Montero (1.55 ERA) and Ryne Stanek (1.15 ERA) have been two of the best relievers in the league. Closer Ryan Pressley has been phenomenal as well, with a 2.91 ERA and 22 saves.
Final Rangers-Astros Prediction & Pick
No need to overthink this one.
Final Rangers-Astros Prediction & Pick: Houston -1.5 (-126), over 8 (-105)
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