The Houston Astros will travel a few hours north to face off against their divisional rival Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park. The matchup will begin at 8:05 p.m. ET and fans hoping to watch it can tune in to ATTSN Southwest.
Houston Astros at Texas Rangers Odds
Oddsmakers are listing Houston (-185) as the favorite over Texas (+175). Gamblers can bet on the game’s total with odds sitting at even money (+100) for over 9.5 runs and -120 for under 9.5. The game’s current runline odds stand at -130 for taking the Astros -1.5 runs and +110 for the Rangers +1.5.
The Astros have gone 38-25 SU this year and are 33-29 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 3.6 units for bettors taking the moneyline, despite having gained 3.0 units ATS. The Rangers, on the other hand, are 27-37 SU and 27-36 ATS. They’ve lost 1.3 units for moneyline bettors and 15.1 units ATS.
Texas games have a 29-29-5 over/under record so far in 2018. The Astros have been a decent under bet with a total record of 25-33-4.
Right-hander Gerrit Cole is projected to start for the visiting Astros. Cole is 6-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 116 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with 25 strikeouts and a 1.93 ERA against Texas this year.
The Rangers will turn to lefty Cole Hamels (3-5, 3.63 ERA), who has 74 strikeouts and 27 walks as well as a 1.24 WHIP. Hamels is 1-1 with 19 strikeouts and a 2.55 ERA across three starts against Houston this year.
Houston’s pitching staff allowed 3.0 runs per game and its starters own a 2.83 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10.20 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.09, along with a WHIP of 1.00 and a K-per-9 of 10.38.
The Astros offense has slashed .258/.332/.419 on its way to 4.9 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.9 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.4 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Houston’s hitters have been led by second baseman Jose Altuve and right fielder George Springer. Altuve is hitting .332/.379/.453 with four home runs, 30 RBIs, 35 runs and eight stolen bases, while Springer has a .293 average with 13 homers, 37 RBIs and 47 runs scored.
For the home team, Texas’ pitchers have allowed 5.2 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 5.34, a WHIP of 1.46 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.0. The bullpen has a 3.65 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 8.1 K/9. In 34 games against divisional opponents, Rangers starters have an ERA of 4.79 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.88.
The Texas hitters are putting up 4.2 runs per outing, including 3.5 per game against divisional foes and 3.8 per game over their last five. The team’s hit .205/.315/.442 over its last five matchups and is 3-2 SU during that span.
Nomar Mazara and Shin-soo Choo have led the Rangers’ offense this year. Mazara is hitting .270/.342/.506 with 14 home runs, 39 RBIs and 36 runs scored, and Choo’s line is .263/.366/.445 with 10 homers, 26 RBIs and 36 runs scored.
The Astros have lost 5.0 units and are 11-11 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in 10 of those games, as opposed to 11 that’ve gone under against lefties. On the other hand, the Rangers have lost 0.1 units and are 18-24 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 18 of those games, compared to 22 that’ve gone under.
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Astros, O/U – UNDER
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Notes
Betting Trends
The under has cashed in only one of Houston’s last seven games.
Texas has posted 19.4 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 16.6 over its last five.
Each team has hit 14 home runs over its last 10 games.
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