Max Scherzer will get the start for the Rangers (90-72, 50-31 home) as they host the Astros (90-72, 51-30 away) at Globe Life Field. The Astros will give the starting nod to Cristian Javier. Check out my prediction for game one of this AL West matchup between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS TEXAS RANGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros +110

This game will be played at Globe Life Field at 8:03 ET on Wednesday, October 18th.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ASTROS:

  • Over their last ten games on the road, Houston has a straight-up record of 8-2.
  • In their last ten games as the underdog, the Astros have put together a record of 8-2.
  • Over his last two starts, Cristian Javier has an ERA of just .00.

HOUSTON ASTROS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN AL WEST

Entering game 163 of their season, the Astros are zero games out in the AL West and are in 2nd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 27-20-5. Houston’s road winning percent is currently 63.0% (51-30) compared to 48.1% at home (39-42).

Cristian Javier has made 33 appearances this season, boasting a record of 10-5. His ERA stands at 4.56, while opponents are batting .226 against him. On the road, he is 6-3 with a 5.31 ERA, and 5-2 at home with an ERA of 4.39. Teams have a slugging percentage of .409 against him for the season thus far.

Cristian Javier earned the victory in the Astros’ 9-1 triumph over the Twins, surrendering just one hit while not allowing a single run. The right-hander’s impressive performance extended his streak of scoreless outings to three consecutive starts.

Having gone deep 11 times in their last ten games, the Astros are 8th in that span. At 5.1 runs per game, Houston is 5th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .259 while hitting a total of 222 home runs (6th).

The Astros’ offense has been led by Kyle Tucker this season. He is batting .284 with 112 RBIs and 29 home runs.

WILL THE TEXAS RANGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Texas’ record of 90-72 has them sitting 1st in the AL West. At home, the Rangers have won four straight series. Their overall home record is 50-31. Against the runline, the Rangers are 95-74 along with an over/under record of 87-75.

Max Scherzer has made 27 appearances so far this season, with a .401 slugging percentage allowed and a WHIP of 1.12. His overall record is 13-6, with an ERA of 3.77 and 174 strikeouts. He averages 10.26 Ks per nine innings, and his record on the road is 8-4 with an ERA of 4.71, while at home it’s 5-2 with an ERA of 4.55.

Max Scherzer earned a victory in his most recent outing, as the Rangers defeated the Blue Jays 6-3. The veteran pitcher gave up just three hits and no runs over seven innings of work.

As a team, Texas has scuffled at the plate over their last ten games, with a combined batting average of just .168. Compared to other teams, this is just 26th in that span. When looking at the team’s power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .452% while going deep a total of 233 times (3rd). Overall, the Rangers are 3rd in the MLB at 5.4 runs per contest.

Leody Taveras has been on fire lately for the Rangers, racking up hits at a .750 clip over the last five games. This season, Taveras is batting .266 with 67 RBIs to his name.