A loaded MLB schedule rolls on as the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers square off in the second game of the Silver Boot Series this evening. It’s a Texas-sized showdown between a couple of AL West foes as they compete for bragging rights in this Lone Star State rivalry.
Here’s an Astros vs. Rangers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Saturday’s action.
Astros vs. Rangers prediction, preview
The Astros were surging just a week ago as they came off a sweep over the Dodgers on the road. Unfortunately for Houston fans, the reality of injuries and the fickleness of the sport caught up to the team as they were swept at home by the Guardians shortly after and dropped last night’s game against Texas 7-3. The Astros are still 5-5 across their last 10 games but have now dropped four straight games at Daikin Park, so a win remains crucial tonight.
To be fair, a third of the lineup looks like guys who took the field during the franchise’s miserable rebuilding years. With Jeremy Pena, Jake Meyers, Chas McCormick and Jacob Melton all still nursing injuries, the outfield depth is very thin and the Stros are missing their All-Star shortstop. They’re 22nd in scoring and 18th in AVG over the last week, so the offensive production has truly faltered with several minor-leaguers and journeymen on the starting lineup card.
The Rangers have seen somewhat better results lately at 6-4 over their last 10 games having won three of their last four. Texas does still sit just under the .500 mark at 47-48, but their bats have woken up for what feels like the first time all season.
After struggling to put up runs through most of the campaign thus far, the Rangers have scored at least four runs in eight of their last 10 outings since July 1 and tallied six or more runs in seven of those. They’re batting .283 over the last week with a league-best 45 runs in their six games over that span, so perhaps this may be a sign of things to come after the All-Star break. If Texas can truly rebound, they stand a chance of catching up in the AL West or at least earning a Wild Card berth since their pitching staff remains so strong.
Astros vs. Rangers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Astros as -122 favorites on the Moneyline while the Rangers are +100 underdogs to win outright. The run total sits at 6.5, the slate’s lowest mark thanks to the superb pitchers on the mound.
Framber Valdez and Jacob deGrom duel this evening in Saturday’s premier pitching matchup. The left-handed Valdez has thrown to the tune of a 2.90 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 115 strikeouts in 115.0 innings. Meanwhile, deGrom has compiled a 2.29 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 105 strikeouts across 106.1 innings as he continues his revenge campaign after returning from injury this season.
Today’s Astros lineup does look a bit better than some they’ve fielded lately. It should also be noted second baseman Brice Matthews makes his second MLB start for Houston after the organization’s No. 3 prospect was called up earlier this week. With that in mind, I’m taking Matthews to record at least one hit at -105 odds in this game. He hit .283 with an .876 OPS in Triple-A ball this season, and he went hitless last night and the matchup is a formidable one, the rookie feels primed to tally his first MLB hit tonight.
Best bet: Brice Matthews 1+ hits (-105)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
