The 2022 MLB season goes on Wednesday, April 27, with a full 15-game card, so we are taking a closer look at the American League West showdown from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, to get you the best Astros vs. Rangers betting pick and odds.
Houston takes on Texas in the third contest of their first four-game series in 2022. The Astros opened as -125 road favorites on Bookmaker Sportsbook, while the Rangers sat at +115 moneyline odds with a total of 8.5 runs.
The Stars’ offensive slump continues
Tuesday night’s games have been excluded from the analysis, and the 7-9 Houston Astros were hoping to bounce back from Monday’s 6-2 defeat to Texas in the opening clash of this series. It was another awful day in the office for Houston’s offense, while the Astros’ bullpen yielded five earned runs in just two innings of work.
The Astros have won only one of their previous six games. In five losses during that stretch, the Stars have scored a paltry nine runs. It’s fair to say that Houston’s bats are off to a terrible start, posting a .211/.285/.361 slash line (.231/.307/.368 league average). On the pitching side of things, the Astros own a 3.76 ERA (18th in the majors), 1.28 WHIP (21st), and .241 batting average against (23rd).
Cristian Javier will toe the rubber Wednesday and make his first start of the season. The 25-year-old righty pitched 8.1 scoreless innings across three relief appearances in 2022, allowing just five hits and a walk while punching out 12. Last year, Javier went 4-1 with a 3.55 ERA, 4.43 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP in nine starts and 27 relief apps.
The Rangers upset Houston to get back to winning ways
The Texas Rangers improved to 6-10 on the season following Monday night’s 6-2 victory to the Astros. They upset the odds as +120 home dogs, recording their fourth victory in the last five outings. The Rangers scored a couple of runs in the seventh inning and added three more in the eighth, as Adolis Garcia slugged a three-run double off rookie Ronel Blanco.
Texas is scoring 4.81 runs per game (tied-5th in the majors) despite a .647 OPS (19th). On the other side of the ball, the Rangers are yielding exactly five runs per game (27th). They own an underwhelming 4.89 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and .253 batting average against.
Glen Otto will get the nod Wednesday, his second of the season. The 26-year-old righty impressed last Friday, earning his first major-league win. The Rangers trounced the Oakland Athletics 8-1, and Otto tossed five innings of a one-run, two-hit ball while striking out five.
Trends:
Houston:
- 10-3 in the last 13 games against Texas
Texas:
- 6-12 in the last 18 games at home
- 8-16 in the last 24 home contests against the AL West
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers Pick
Cristian Javier is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in four starts and four relief apps against Texas. He’ll desperately need run support in this one, and the Astros’ lineup will have to break out of its slump eventually. The price at -125 is tempting, so I’ll take the visitors to win.
The Rangers’ bullpen carries a 4.21 ERA and 4.95 FIP, but in the last six days, it has registered a sparkly 1.84 ERA and .227 BABIP. However, it’s hard to trust the Rangers’ pitching staff, while the Astros’ bullpen has a 3.14 ERA and 3.32 FIP. Houston’s relievers already ruined the opener, so I’m expecting a much better performance this time around.
Pick: Take Houston Astros at -125
The Total:
The over is 11-5-3 in the last 19 encounters between the Astros and Rangers, and all three pushes have seen nine runs on the scoreboard. As I’ve already mentioned, I’m expecting the Astros’ bats to break out of their funk, so give me the over on the totals. They are much better than their numbers in 2022.
On the other side, the Rangers hope to see more from Corey Seager (90 OPS+) and Marcus Semien (54 OPS+). Seager went 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI on Monday, while Semien is still searching for his first home run of the season after smacking 45 no-doubters in 2021.
Pick: Go over 8.5 runs at -110
