Wednesday's matchup between the Astros and Rangers is set to get started at 2:35 PM ET from Globe Life Field in Arlington. The Astros are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -120 compared to the Rangers, who are at +100. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs.
Yusei Kikuchi will start for the Astros, and he is facing off against Jose Urena for the Rangers. Houston is currently 2nd in the AL West, while the Rangers are 3rd, with an overall record of 54-60.
Houston vs. Texas Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Astros at Rangers
- Where: Globe Life Field Arlington
- Date: Wednesday, August 7th
- Betting Odds HOU -120 | TEX +100 O/U 9
Astros vs Rangers Last Game Recap
Houston rallied for two runs in the 9th inning in the most recent game of this Astros vs. Rangers series. The Astros scored one run in the 4th inning but didn't score another run until putting up two in the top of the 9th, picking up a 4-2 win. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -129 on the money line.
Framber Valdez pitched well for the Astros in the game, going 8 2/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued three walks. Josh Hader came out of the bullpen for the save. Tyler Mahle had a rough outing for the Rangers, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up one earned run.
Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers were the only two Astros hitters to have more than one hit. Alvarez and Alex Bregman each homered for Houston's only two extra-base hits. Corey Seager hit the game's other home run for Texas.
Astros Preview
Heading into today's game, the Astros are 2nd in the AL West with a 58-55 record, just a half-game behind the Mariners. They have lost two straight series and are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
On the road, the Astros have a 29-26 run line record and an overall record of 26-29. Their over/under record for games with a 9-run line is 11-7-2, and their under streak is at 5 games.
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Rangers on the road. He has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 4-9 with an ERA of 4.67. Kikuchi's WHIP for the season is currently 1.33. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs on 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. Kikuchi has made eight quality starts this year and is averaging 10.46 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has allowed 18 home runs. Kikuchi has a 6.18 ERA on the road compared to 5.06 at home.
Yordan Alvarez has been one of the top power hitters in the league this season, as his 21 homers are the most on the Astros and 10th most in the MLB. He is also hitting .300, which is 3rd best on the team. Kyle Tucker has also been a big power threat, as his 19 homers are 2nd on the team and 12th most in the league. Tucker is batting .266 for the season.
Yainer Diaz has been the Astros' most consistent hitter this season, as he is batting .296 and leads the team with 59 RBIs. Over his last seven games, he has gone 11/26. Jose Altuve comes into the game batting .303 and has 14 homers, which is 4th on the team. However, he has just one home run over his last seven games.
Rangers Preview
As underdogs, the Rangers have struggled this season, with an 18-32 record, including five straight losses. Overall, they are 54-60 and have lost three straight series. Texas is 5 games behind the Mariners in the AL West, and they have a 14-17 record against division rivals.
When the Rangers win, they tend to do so convincingly, with an average run margin of 3.8 runs per game. Their games have gone over the total in 50 of 110 games this season, and the average combined run total is 8.6 runs. The current under streak is at 2 games, heading into today's O/U line of 9 runs.
José Ureña will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Red Sox, as he gets the start for the Rangers today. In that start, which came on August 2nd, he took the loss after giving up seven earned runs in four innings of work. Looking at his overall numbers, Ureña has made 26 appearances this year to go along with seven starts. His record for the season is 3-6, and he has an ERA of 3.70. Opponents are batting .243 this year vs. Ureña. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.16 strikeouts and 3.02 walks. Ureña has allowed a total of 10 homers this year.
Corey Seager has been on a tear for the Rangers, going 12/37 in his last nine games with five homers and eight RBIs. Seager's 24 homers this season is 7th best in the league and leads the Rangers. Overall, he is batting .277, which is the 2nd best mark on the team. Adolis Garcia is 2nd on the team with 18 homers but has struggled with a batting average of just .207.
As a team, the Rangers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They are also just 16th in team batting average and have the 23rd OPS in the league. Overall, they are 13th in home runs. Texas is also hoping to improve their team on-base percentage, as they are just 16th in this category.
Astros vs. Rangers Prediction: Rangers ML +100
With the Rangers at +100 on the money line, that is the way we recommend playing this one. We have the Rangers taking this game 6-5, and with the payout at +100, there is some good value in picking them to win straight up.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Jose Urena finishing with four strikeouts compared to Yusei Kikuchi with five. However, we have Urena finishing with a better chance to pick up the win and have him going 5-6 innings compared to Kikuchi at 4-5.
