The AL West chaos continues on Saturday with game two of this Texas-sized rivalry. The Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 7-3 last night and run it back again at Globe Life Field again this evening, with first pitch set for shortly after 7 p.m.
Here’s a betting prediction and pick for this Astros vs. Rangers matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Astros vs. Rangers prediction, preview
After last night, the Rangers pushed their AL West lead up slightly by advancing to 48-46 on the year. Now, they’re up 1.5 games on Seattle and a full 3.0 on the Astros, who fell to 46-50. Houston did nearly mount a comeback after falling behind 3-0 and eventually tied the contest at 3-3, but a four-run eighth inning got Texas back into the lead and the group never looked back afterward.
By most measures, the Astros have been better at the plate this season. They’re averaging 4.53 runs per game with a .725 OPS that ranks 14th across the MLB, slashing .241/.315/.410. They’re also one of the best power-hitting units across the sport with the fifth-best ISO at .169, plus 128 home runs, still third most of any club. They also get the better of their splits today against a right-hander, slashing .243/.318/.414 with a slightly elevated .732 OPS.
The Rangers aren’t without their own offensive talent, even if 4.15 runs per game aren’t much to write home about. The overall OPS of .714 slots in at 17th on a slash line of .244/.320/.397. They have 106 home runs this year, 19th in the MLB, and an ISO of .153 that comes in at 18th as well. However, they’re on the wrong side of their batting splits against a right-hander, as they slash .242/.317/.390 for a .707 OPS against such pitchers.
The right-handers on the mound tonight are Houston’s Peter Lambert and Texas’ Kumar Rocker.
Lambert is 7-5 this year across 14 appearances with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 80.0 IP. The bullpen backing him ranks 18th in ERA at 4.27 but has been a top-five unit over the last month. Meanwhile, Rocker is 2-7 in his 17 games with a 3.95 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP and 74 punchouts in 84.1 IP. The Rangers’ bullpen is 12th in ERA at 3.93.
Astros vs. Rangers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Rangers as -122 home favorites on the Moneyline tonight. The Astros are underdogs with +101 odds to win outright on the road. The total sits at nine combined runs as well.
Best Bet: Peter Lambert under 2.5 earned runs allowed (-114)
It’s kind of shocking, but Lambert has burst onto the scene this season as a legitimately productive arm. He had a 3.10 ERA in June, his best monthly tally yet after allowing just 10 earned runs in five starts with two or fewer in four of those. In his lone July start thus far, he tossed 5.2 innings of shutout ball with just three hits allowed and one walk. That means that since June 1, he’s conceded just 10 earned runs in six starts with 34.2 IP over that span, going under 2.5 earned runs in five of those six tries. Against a Rangers lineup that isn’t great against right-handers, there’s a good chance that Lambert stays under 2.5 ER again tonight.
