In the wild, wild AL West, a division title is up for grabs. The Rangers (55-54), despite their middling record, currently sit in first place. Hot on their tails are the Astros (55-55), who have won eight of their last nine games. Once written off, Houston\u2019s experienced roster is looking to make a statement on Friday. Can Texas earn a road win tonight against an in-state rival?<\/p>\n
The Astros are favorites (-131)<\/a> over the Rangers, with the over\/under set at 7.5 runs<\/a>. Below, I\u2019ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Friday\u2019s showdown between Texas and Houston on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rangers vs. Astros pick, best bet today<\/p>\n Astros ML (-131)<\/a>: Brown has had success against Texas before, making him a pitcher to back tonight at home. On the other side, Eovaldi\u2019s tendency for coughing up homers could hurt against a power-laden lineup. The Astros make more sense on the moneyline this evening.<\/p>\n Rangers vs. Astros prediction, preview<\/p>\n This is a terrific pitching matchup, with both sides sending a former All-Star to the mound. For the visitors, it\u2019ll be Nathan Eovaldi making his 21st start of the season. It hasn\u2019t been an amazing campaign from the 36-year-old, but he\u2019s more than capable of spinning a gem. Through 122.1 innings of work, he\u2019s notched a 4.05 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 130 strikeouts (9.6 K\/9). During his most recent game, last week against the Mariners, Evo tossed seven innings of one-run ball. The veteran remains one of the sport\u2019s best when it comes to generating whiffs and limiting walks (2.1 BB\/9). If there\u2019s one weakness, it\u2019s giving up hard contact. Eovaldi is on the hook for a 1.6 HR\/9 ratio, fourth-highest among qualified starters.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s anyone that could go yard tonight, it\u2019s Yordan Alvarez. The superstar is the odds-on favorite to win the American League MVP, and for good reason. He\u2019s slashing .321\/.432\/.640 while leading the Junior Circuit with 35 homers and 80 RBIs. Over 17 career at-bats vs. Eovaldi, Alvarez owns a .353 batting average. It\u2019s not as if the rest of this offense is inept either. The Astros are 11th in runs scored (505), third in home runs (151) and ninth in OPS (.728). Supporting pieces such as Jeremy Pena (143 wRC+), Isaac Paredes (118 wRC+) and Christian Walker (113 wRC+) have given this lineup depth.<\/p>\n Houston will hand the ball to Hunter Brown, the undisputed ace of an otherwise lackluster rotation. Over 45.0 innings pitched (nine starts), he\u2019s posted a 3.45 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 50 strikeouts (9.6 K\/9). Much like Eovaldi, Brown comes into this one fresh off of a terrific showing. He put up seven scoreless innings on the road last week against the White Sox. Following his breakout 2025 campaign, the 27-year-old remains one of the sport\u2019s better hurlers. He ranks within the 88th percentile or better in xBA (.196), average exit velocity (86.6 MPH) and ground ball rate (52.5%). If there\u2019s one area where the righty struggles, it\u2019s giving up free passes (5.4 BB\/9).<\/p>\n On paper, the Rangers aren\u2019t equipped to take advantage of Brown\u2019s greatest weakness. They\u2019re averaging just 3.20 walks per game, ninth-fewest in baseball. The potential return of slugging shortstop Corey Seager (back) will help. Still, this isn\u2019t an upper echelon offense by any means. Texas is 23rd in runs scored (453), 17th in home runs (125) and 23rd in stolen bases (55). The continued absence of third baseman Josh Jung (calf) only hurts. Brown has a stellar 2.68 ERA over his previous six meetings with the Rangers.<\/p>\n