The Texas Rangers will be facing off against their in-state rival Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The matchup will be nationally televised on ESPN and the game gets underway 8:08 p.m. ET.
Texas Rangers at Houston Astros Odds
Oddsmakers are listing Texas (+265) as the underdog to Houston (-330). The total is sitting at 8.5 runs and bettors can wager on the over for -105 and the under for -115. Bettors can also wager on the game’s runline with the odds coming in at Rangers +1.5 runs (+135) and Astros -1.5 runs (-155).
The Astros are 10-5 SU and 7-7 ATS. They’ve gained 2.4 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 1.3 units against the spread (ATS). The Rangers are 5-11 SU and have gone 5-10 ATS. In total, the team’s lost 5.4 units for gamblers taking the moneyline in this young season and 8.3 units ATS.
Astros games have a 4-10 over/under record thus far in 2018. The Rangers have an over/under record of 6-8-1.
The Rangers have lost 4.0 units and are 4-7 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has cashed in four of those games, compared to six that’ve gone under against right-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Astros have lost 1.6 units and are 4-6 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in two of those games, compared to eight that’ve cashed the under.
Right-hander Bartolo Colon is projected to start for the visiting Rangers. Colon is 0-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 10 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Astros this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (0-1, 12.71 ERA and three strikeouts over 5.2 innings).
The Astros are handing the ball to righty Justin Verlander (2-0, 1.45 ERA), who’s got 23 strikeouts and four walks, as well as a 0.96 WHIP. Verlander is 1-0 with five strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA across one starts against Texas this year.
As a unit, Houston’s pitching staff has given up 3.1 runs per game overall this year. Its starting pitching staff has a 2.80 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has recorded a solid ERA of just 2.63, a WHIP of 1.15 and a K/9 of 9.9. In six games against divisional foes, Astros starters have an ERA of 2.41 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.86.
The Houston hitters are putting up 4.4 runs per outing, including 5.0 per game against divisional foes and 3.8 per game over their last five. The team has hit .249/.343/.347 over its last five matchups and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Left fielder Josh Reddick and second baseman Jose Altuve have led the Astros’ offense this year. Reddick is hitting .286/.432/.543 with 10 hits, seven RBIs and eight runs scored, while Altuve’s line is .351/.415/.386 with 20 hits, four RBIs and nine runs.
Compared to his total season slash line of .314/.363/.484, Reddick seemed to enjoy hitting righties at home last season, slashing .364/.397/.561 over 209 such plate appearances.
In the other dugout, Texas’ pitching staff allowed 5.3 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 5.65 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 8.42 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.66, along with a K-per-9 of 8.16.
The Rangers offense has slashed .231/.306/.370 on its way to 3.3 runs scored per game in 2018, including 2.9 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.8 per game over the team’s last five outings (1-4 SU).
Texas’ offensive production been led by shortstop Elvis Andrus and third baseman Adrian Beltre. Andrus is slashing .327/.426/.500 with 17 hits, five RBIs and seven runs scored, while Beltre has a .298 average with 17 hits, three RBIs and six runs scored.
Beltre seemed to have some trouble hitting righty pitching on the road in 2017, putting up a slash line of .255/.307/.458 across 166 such plate appearances (his overall season line was .312/.383/.532).
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros MLB Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Rangers, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Notes
The over has hit in four of Texas’ last seven games.
The Texas defense has allowed five errors over its last five games, compared to zero errors for Houston over its last five.
The Rangers have hit 12 home runs in their last 10 games, including eight over their last five.
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