The AL West may not be great this year, but the division is certainly interesting. The Houston Astros just overtook the Texas Rangers for the lead thanks to a scorching stretch of play following the All-Star break, and they now clash again at 7:10 p.m. ET tonight for the latest leg of the Silver Boot series.
Let’s dive in with a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s Rangers vs. Astros game courtesy of odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rangers vs. Astros prediction, preview
The Rangers held the AL West lead for quite a while, but that’s now changed after Houston took the first game of this series last night. Now, Texas sits second in the division at 55-55 with a -31 run differential, also losing three consecutive outings. The Astros overtook them in first place at 56-55, and while a -32 run differential isn’t very good, they’ve now won nine of their last 10 games and are one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Ace RHP Jacob deGrom (7-6) takes the mound for the visiting Rangers tonight. He carries an elevated 3.67 ERA by his own standards but boasts a 1.07 WHIP and 132 strikeouts over 110.1 IP. The veteran still has some of the best stuff of any arm in this sport, generating a 29.6% K% with elite chase and whiff rates while keeping the BB% down at 5.4%. The Texas bullpen comes in at 20th in ERA with a 4.31 mark, also logging a 1.34 WHIP and an 11.6% K-BB%.
For the Astros, RHP Ronel Blanco (0-1) gets the ball for the third time this season. His results have been shaky since making his return from Tommy John surgery with nine earned runs allowed in 10.0 IP, but he does have a 1.20 WHIP and 12 strikeouts. The club’s relief staff ranks 18th in ERA at 4.13, amassing a 1.31 WHIP and a 13.0% K-BB%. Since May 1 though, they’re third in ERA at 3.04.
The Astros’ bats have moved up to seventh in OPS at .734, averaging 4.65 runs per game. Just as over the last couple of weeks, they still remain third in ISO (.172) and third in home runs (154). Houston is better against right-handers as well, slashing .246/.321/.422 with a .743 OPS.
The Rangers’ bats aren’t quite as impressive. They have a .721 OPS that ranks 17th, but they produce only 4.16 runs per game. They’re also 17th in ISO (.157) and home runs as well (126). Against right-handed pitching, Texas slashes .244/.317/.399 with a .716 OPS.
Rangers vs. Astros pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Rangers as a -126 Moneyline favorite on the road, with the Astros listed as +104 underdogs to win outright at home. The run total sits at eight for this one.
Houston carries immense momentum into this outing, but deGrom is still deGrom, after all. He’s struggled a bit against the Astros this season with a 4.50 ERA against them in two starts, but he went 6.0 innings in each and did allow four earned runs in one game with two in the other. On the opposite side of things, Blanco hasn’t looked great in his two games back from injury and has been particularly homer-prone, giving up two long balls in each of his starts. If he’s shaky out of the gate, this is a game in which the Rangers may retake the division lead.