The AL West race got a little bit more interesting last night as the Texas Rangers (73-69) downed the Houston Astros (77-65) in an extra-innings thriller. Tonight, these rivals run it back once more at Globe Life Field as Texas keeps hunting an AL Wild Card spot and Houston tries to defend their slim lead at the top of the division. With a couple of aces on the mound in Jacob deGrom and Hunter Brown, this looks like a very fun matchup.
Here’s a Rangers vs. Astros prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for today’s action.
Rangers vs. Astros prediction, preview
The Astros have the upper hand with a four-game lead on the Rangers for the AL West, but tonight’s game could lead to immense impacts in both the division and Wild Card as Texas sits just half a game back of the Seattle Mariners. With the regular season in the home stretch, every single game feels crucial for how the postseason field shakes out.
Now, the Rangers do hold the upper hand with a 7-3 record over their last 10 games and momentum on their side. Texas ranks top-five in scoring over the last two weeks with 79 runs and an average of 6.58 per contest. They’re hitting an impressive .283 with an .843 OPS in that span, both top-five marks in baseball, and their 21 homers are also tied for fifth. They’re also top-six in both walks and strikeouts, so the plate process looks good for the Rangers.
On the flip side, the Astros are just 5-5 over their last 10 games. In the last two weeks, they rank 23rd in scoring with just 47 runs, an average of just 3.62 per contest. They’re batting .244 with a .717 OPS, marks that are far behind tonight’s opponent, and their 16 homers rank in the middle of the pack. While Houston’s tied for the sixth-most walks, they’re also a bit more strikeout-happy than the Rangers at the moment and the offense can’t seem to string together consistent performances in general.
Rangers vs. Astros pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Rangers as -119 Moneyline favorites at home on Saturday while the Astros come in as slight -102 underdogs. The run total sits at just seven today, given the elite pitching matchup.
Two aces battle this evening as Jacob deGrom (2.69 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 161 SO) suits up for Texas. He duels against Houston’s Hunter Brown (2.34 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 182 SO). It’s truly tough to set up a pitcher’s duel better than this one, so fans are in for a treat.
While that run total sits very low for this game, it’s an understandable mark since two of the best arms in the sport go toe-to-toe on the bump. DeGrom’s returned to form and allowed just two earned runs across his last three starts, and Brown’s given up just eight across his last eight starts with no more than two in a single game. These guys are shoving, and given the quality bullpens each team deploys with each ranked top-six in ERA on the full season, scoring should remain hard to come by even once each starter exits the game.
The run total may be the lowest on the slate, but I’m not scared to go under it whatsoever.
Best bet: Under seven runs (-116)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
