Justin Verlander will get the start for the Astros (90-72, 39-42 home) as they host the Rangers (90-72, 40-41 away) at Minute Maid Park. The Rangers will give the starting nod to Jordan Montgomery. Check out my prediction for game one of this AL West matchup between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.

TEXAS RANGERS VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros -141

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:15 ET on Sunday, October 15th.

WHY BET THE HOUSTON ASTROS:

  • The Astros have been playing well of late, rattling off four contests.
  • So far this year, the Astros lead the season series against the Rangers 9-4.
  • Justin Verlander has done a good job at avoiding the long-ball of late, having not given up a home-run in each of his past four starts.

TEXAS RANGERS HAVE BEEN GOOD AGAINST THE AL WEST

Overall, the Rangers have a record of 90-72 which has them 1st in the AL West. Texas has rattled off two straight series victories and have an overall series record of 31-19-2. This season, Texas is 50-31 at home and 40-41 on the road.

Jordan Montgomery will take the mound for the Rangers with an overall record of 10-11. The lefty has made 34 appearances this season, boasting an ERA of 3.20 and a K/9 of 7.92. His FIP is 3.56, while his OBP stands at .288.

In his latest outing versus the Orioles, Jordan Montgomery allowed five runs on nine hits over four innings of work. Although he did not factor into the decision, the Rangers still emerged victorious in an 11-8 slugfest.

The Rangers have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 5 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 7th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 3rd in home runs and 3rd in slugging percentage. Overall, Texas is averaging 5.4 runs per game (3rd).

Over the Rangers’ past ten games, Adolis García has been a force at the plate, leading the team with two home runs and bringing his season total to an impressive 39. García’s batting average for the year is currently .245.

WILL THE HOUSTON ASTROS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

For the season, the Astros have an overall record of 90-72, placing them 2nd in the AL West. Against other AL West opponents, they are 32-20 along with going 39-42 and 51-30 at home and on the road, respectively. So far, they have played a total of 51 series, going 27-19-5.

The Astros will turn to starter Justin Verlander, who has compiled a 13-8 record in 28 appearances. His ERA is 3.22, with a K/9 of 7.98, and he has posted a FIP of 3.85 and an OBP of .277 so far this season.

The Houston Astros were victorious in Justin Verlander’s last start, defeating the Minnesota Twins 6-4. The veteran right-hander pitched six innings of shutout ball, surrendering only four hits and notching a win in the process.

During their last ten games, Houston is the 16th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .242 and are averaging 4 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Astros are hitting .259 with an OBP of .331 while averaging 5.1 runs per contest. This figure puts them 5th in the league.

The Astros’ offense has been led this season by Kyle Tucker, who has a .284 batting average and 112 RBIs. He’s also hit 29 home runs, providing a major boost to the team’s offensive production.