Game three of this AL West series sees the Astros (58-44, 27-22 home) and Rangers (59-43, 25-23 away) facing off at Minute Maid Park. The starting pitcher for the Astros will be Framber Valdez, while the Rangers are turning to Andrew Heaney. Find out who I like to win in this Houston Astros and Texas Rangers showdown.

TEXAS RANGERS VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +150

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:10 ET on Wednesday, July 26th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • In their last five games as the underdog, the Rangers have put together a record of 3-2.
  • Houston is on a two game winning streak when the underdog.
  • For the season, the Rangers have gone 10-9 with Andrew Heaney on the mound as the starter.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING TO EXTEND AL WEST LEAD

So far this season, Texas has played in 31 series, going 18-11-2. Their current record of 59-43 is good for first place in the AL West. On the road, the Rangers have gone 25-23 compared to 34-20 at home.

Andrew Heaney is making his 20th appearance of the season with a 6-6 record. His ERA stands at 4.58, while opponents are batting .242 against him. On the road, Heaney is 2-3 with an ERA of 5.20, while he’s 4-3 at home with an ERA of 5.91. Teams have a slugging percentage of .449 against him for the season thus far.

Andrew Heaney took the mound against the Dodgers in his most recent outing, surrendering four runs and five hits over five innings. The Rangers ultimately fell to Los Angeles 11-5, marking a disappointing start to the 2023 season for Heaney.

The Rangers have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 12 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 8th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 6th in home runs and 2nd in slugging percentage. Overall, Texas is averaging 5.8 runs per game (1st).

Adolis García leads the Rangers in home runs this season, boasting 24 round-trippers and 80 RBIs. His slugging percentage for the year is a robust .509.

WILL THE HOUSTON ASTROS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Through 102 games, the Astros have a record of 58-44. This mark includes going 17-12-2 across their 31 series. Currently, Houston is 2nd in the AL West and have a 27-22 record at home while going 31-22 on the road. So far, the Astros have gone 29-31 against teams with above .500 records.

Framber Valdez is on the mound for the Astros tonight, boasting an 8-6 record. He has made 19 appearances this season, with an ERA of 2.94 and a K/9 of 9.78. His FIP is 2.92 and opponents have managed to get on base against him at a .275 clip.

Framber Valdez earned the victory in his latest start, allowing four runs and six hits over five frames against Oakland. Houston emerged victorious with a 6-4 scoreline.

This season, the Astros are 12th in the league at 4.7 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .226 (21st) leading to 4.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.2 walks per game compared to 7 strikeouts. Houston’s on-base percentage of .318 has them 13th in the MLB.

The Astros have seen Kyle Tucker at the top of their offensive performance over the past ten games, with five home runs and a season-long total of 18. His batting average is an impressive .305.