Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Betting Preview

It is a Lone Star State showdown starting on Friday as the Texas Rangers (35-62) will take on the Houston Astros (58-39). The Astros will host this one at Minute Maid Park, with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 pm ET.
Texas comes into this one in the midst of a rough patch as they have lost nine in a row. On Thursday, the Detroit Tigers finished a four-game sweep of the Rangers with a 7-5 win. In the loss, Mike Foltynewicz gave up six runs (five earned) in four innings of work.

The Astros enjoyed a day off on Thursday after taking two of three from the Cleveland Indians to start the week. They did drop the finale 5-4 despite Jose Altuve hitting his 23rd home run of the season.

Houston is the significant favorite in Friday’s matchup playing at home. They are -250 to win while the Rangers’ moneyline is +205. The runline features Texas +1.5 (-102), and the over/under for total runs is 8.5.

Pitching Matchup

The Rangers will send southpaw Kolby Allard (2-7, 4.06 ERA) to the mound on Friday. In his last start, a 5-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Allard went 5.1 innings but allowed five earned runs.

The Astros will look to veteran Jake Odorizzi to take the opener Friday. On the season, he is 3-5 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. In 50.2 innings, he has 45 strikeouts versus 16 walks.

By The Number

Offensively, Houston has been the best team in baseball this season. They rank atop the majors in scoring, averaging 5.37 runs per game. The Rangers rank 29th averaging just 3.90 runs.

The Astros also hold the edge when it comes to defense. They rank eighth in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 3.98 runs per game. The Rangers rank 23rd, allowing 4.95 runs.

Rangers Try To Stop Skid

Now 1-9 in their last 10 games, the Rangers are dead last in the AL West and trail the Astros by 23 games in the division. At 35-62, they have the second-worst record in the American League, with only the Baltimore Orioles‘ worst (31-64).

Offensively, they have been led by outfielders Joey Gallo and Adolis Garcia. On the season, Gallo is hitting just .228/.376/.497 but leads the team in home runs with 24. Against Odorizzi, Gallo has a home run but is hitting just .167.

Garcia is hitting .262/.304/.500 with 22 home runs, 62 runs batted in, and 44 runs scored.

Astros Look To Stay Hot At Home

At 58-39, the Astros lead the division by a few games, and that is in large part due to a stellar home record. They are 31-20 at Minute Maid Park this season. The offense doesn’t have too many holes in it but is led by Jose Altuve. This season, Altuve is hitting .278/.358/.512 with 23 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and 70 runs scored.

Aside from Altuve, Yordan Alvarez (17 HR, 60 RBI), Kyle Tucker (17 HR, 54 RBI), Carlos Correa (16 HR, 52 RBI), Yuli Gurriel (10 HR, 58 RBI), and Michael Brantley (.331 batting average) have all been stellar.

Take Houston To Take Opener

While the Astros are just 4-6 over their last 10 games, they are still the overwhelming favorites in this one. Granted, Odorizzi has been inconsistent this season, but taking them at home against a reeling Texas Rangers team is still the smart play.