Two teams vying for the top spot in the American League West meet head-to-head on Wednesday night as the Houston Astros (58-44) host the Texas Rangers (59-43).
- Rangers vs Astros Game Info
- Rangers vs Astros Odds & Spread
- Rangers vs Astros Betting Trends
- Rangers vs Astros Prediction & Pick
- Rangers vs Astros Best Bet
Rangers vs Astros Game Info
- Date:'Wednesday, July 26, 2023
- Time:'8:10 p.m. ET
- Venue:'Minute Maid Park — Houston, TX
- Coverage:'Bally Sports SW and ATT Sportsnet-SW
The Astros are going for a sweep on Wednesday after winning by a score of 10-9 on Monday and by a score of 4-3 on Tuesday. Tuesday's victory was powered by starter JP France, who allowed only an unearned run across 7.0 innings. Outfielder Kyle Tucker launched his 18th home run of the year, too.
Rangers vs Astros Odds & Spread
- Moneyline: TEX: (+158) | HOU: (-188)
- Spread:'TEX: +1.5 (-134) | HOU: -1.5 (+112)
- Total:'8.5 — Over: (-108) | Under: (-112)
The Astros enter this contest as home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8:10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 8.5 runs with the Under slightly favored at -112 odds.
Rangers vs Astros Betting Trends
- Texas is 1-5 straight up in its last six games against Houston.
- The total has hit the over in four of Texas' last five games.
- Houston is 7-3 straight up in its last 10 home games.
- The total has hit the under in eight of Houston's last 12 games against Texas.
Rangers vs Astros Prediction & Pick
The Rangers will look to salvage the series with Andrew Heaney on the mound. Heaney has posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 19 starts (6-6 record). He's been a hit or miss pitcher as of late, giving up 4 or more earned runs in three of his last five starts and zero earned runs in the other two efforts.
It is Framber Valdez's turn in the Astros' rotation. Valdez has been as reliable as they come, logging a 2.94 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 19 starts (8-6 record). He has faced the Rangers once before this season back on April 16. That was when Valdez allowed 5 runs (1 earned) over 6.0 innings in a loss.
That effort seems like more of an outlier than anything else, though, considering Valdez owns a 2.47 ERA in 14 appearances against Texas (6-4 record). Of the eight Rangers players with at least 10 at-bats against Valdez, only Leody Taveras is hitting over .250. That makes me lean Houston at home.
Final Score Prediction:'Rangers: 4 | Astros: 5
Rangers vs Astros Best Bet
Kyle Tucker has been a steady contributor for the Astros this year as he ranks first on the team with a .305 batting average and 11 1 hits. He is riding an 11-game hitting streak heading into Wednesday night, too, which makes him a perfect player to target for a prop bet. It's worth pointing out that eight of his 18 hits during the streak have been singles. Getting this bet at -105 odds lines up as a steal.