Leading up to game two of this AL West battle, the Astros (90-72, 39-42 home) will send Cristian Javier to the mound to take on the Rangers (90-72, 40-41 away) and Max Scherzer. Find out who I like to come out on top in this Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros matchup in Houston.

TEXAS RANGERS VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +107

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:03 ET on Monday, October 23rd.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • In their last ten games, the Rangers have a record of 7-3.
  • As the road underdog, the Rangers’ win streak currently stands at seven games.
  • Opponents are hitting just .227 against Max Scherzer in his last four starts.

TEXAS RANGERS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

For the season, the Rangers have an overall record of 90-72, placing them 1st in the AL West. Against other AL West opponents, they are 29-23 along with going 50-31 and 40-41 at home and on the road, respectively. So far, they have played a total of 54 series, going 32-20-2.

The Rangers will turn to starter Max Scherzer, who has been a reliable presence in their rotation this season. His overall record stands at 13-6 through 28 appearances, and his ERA is 3.77 with a K/9 of 10.26. He has also put together an impressive FIP of 4.32 and an OBP of .277.

Max Scherzer’s most recent start ended after four innings, with the Rangers suffering an 8-5 loss to the Astros. The veteran pitcher allowed five hits and five earned runs.

So far this season, the Rangers’ has gone deep 233 times, placing them 3rd in the league. Over Texas’ previous five games, they are 17th in runs scored, with their season average of 5.4 runs per game putting them 3rd in the league. The Rangers’ overall team batting average stands at .263 along with an OBP of .337.

The Texas Rangers’ offensive leader, Marcus Semien, has been a consistent presence at the plate this season. He currently holds a .276 batting average and has an impressive .478 slugging percentage and .348 on-base percentage.

WILL THE HOUSTON ASTROS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Overall, the Astros have a record of 90-72 which has them 2nd in the AL West. Houston has rattled off two straight series victories and have an overall series record of 29-19-5. This season, Houston is 39-42 at home and 51-30 on the road.

Houston Astros starter Cristian Javier has had a successful season thus far, with an overall record of 10-5 and an ERA of 4.56. On the road, his ERA stands at 5.20, while it is 4.39 when pitching at home. His WHIP for the season is 1.26 and he has allowed a batting average of .226 against him. Opposing teams have put together a slugging percentage of .409 against Javier in 2023.

Cristian Javier earned the victory in the Astros’ 8-5 triumph over the Rangers, despite surrendering two runs on three hits.

Over their last ten games, the Astros are ranked 14th in the league in scoring at 4 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 5.1 per contest puts them 5th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Houston is 4th, with an OBP currently sitting at .331. The team’s collective batting average is .259 (4th).

Over the Astros’ past five contests, Jose Altuve has been the team’s top hitter, batting .438. This season, Altuve is hitting .311 and has racked up 51 RBIs.