Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Moneyline Pick

Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros
Date: Friday, April 14th, 8:10 ET
Location: Minute Maid Park
TV: MLBN
Money Line: Rangers +138/Astros -162
Total Line: 8.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Houston Astros and the Rangers on Friday, April 14th at Minute Maid Park. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Rangers vs. Astros Projected Lineup

	Batting Order	Position
Marcus Semien	1	2B
Josh H. Smith	2	3B
Nathaniel Lowe	3	1B
Adolis García	4	RF
Josh Jung	5	3B
Robbie Grossman	6	LF
Jonah Heim	7	C
Brad Miller	8	LF
Ezequiel Duran	9	2B
Martín Pérez	–	SP




	Batting Order	Position
Jeremy Peña	1	SS
Alex Bregman	2	3B
Yordan Alvarez	3	LF
José Abreu	4	1B
Kyle Tucker	5	RF
Chas McCormick	6	CF
David Hensley	7	2B
Mauricio Dubón	8	CF
Martín Maldonado	9	C
Luis Garcia	–	SP




Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Texas Rangers: 7-5 SU / OU 8-4 / Runline 6-6
Houston Astros: 6-7 SU / OU 9-4 / Runline 7-6

The Rangers head into today’s game vs. the Astros with an overall record of 7-5. This mark has them tied for first in the AL-West. Over their last five games, they are 3-2 and have a road and home record of 1-2 and 6-3, respectively. Texas’ overall series record sits at 1-2.

Texas’ record against the runline stands at 6-6, while being favored in eight out of their 12 games. With an average betting line of 8 runs, the team’s over/under record stands at 8-4.

The Astros head into today’s game vs. the Rangers with an overall record of 6-7. This mark has them sitting 3rd in the AL West. Currently, they are 1.5 games out of the division lead. Over their last five games, they are 3-2 and have a road and home record of 3-3 and 3-4, respectively. Houston’s overall series record sits at 0-2.

With an above .500 record against the runline at 7-6, Houston has been favored 84.6% of the time this season. The team’s over/under record comes in at 9-4 with an average betting line of 8.

Pitching Matchup

 

The Rangers will turn to starter Martín Pérez who has an overall record of 1-1. After two appearances, his ERA is 2.53 and he has a K/9 figure of 1.1. ALso, he has compiled a FIP of 3.25 and an OBP of .348.

Martín Pérez took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in his previous outing against the Cubs. In the game, the Rangers fell 10-3.

 

The Astros will turn to starter Luis Garcia who has an overall record of 0-1. After two appearances, his ERA is 7.00 and he has a K/9 figure of 0.9. ALso, he has compiled a FIP of 6.54 and an OBP of .422.

Luis Garcia’s most recent outing saw him face the Twins, where he allowed four runs and six hits in four innings of work. the Astros ended up losing the game by a score of 9-6.

Rangers vs. Astros Offense Outlook

The Rangers have played 12 games and are currently ranked 6th in the league, averaging 5.6 runs per game. Texas ranks 15th in home runs, (14) and have a collective batting average of .242, including .188 on the road and .250 at home.

Texas Rangers Top Hitters vs. Righties

 

This season, the Astros are ranked 7th in the league with an average of 5.1 runs per game. Houston is ranked 15th in home runs, with a total of 14 long balls. Their overall batting average is .256, including .262 on the road and .247 at home.

Houston Astros Top Hitters vs. Lefties

 

Free MLB Pick

Martin Perez has had some really good games at Minute Maid Park and like a fine wine, he seemingly gets better there with age. The crafty lefty has been in the bigs for over a decade and note one hitter in the Astros lineup has taken him deep. Furthermore, the Rangers offense has scored eight runs or more in three of their last four games On the flip side, Luis Garcia hasn’t looked sharp this season. I originally wanted to play the under 8.5, but with the Rangers bats clicking as of late, it’s too risky. Instead, I’m betting the Rangers as a +140 underdog. Plus 140 odds implies that Texas would need to win in this scenario 42% of the time. With all of the current variables in play, I believe this is a 50/50 proposition and could even make a case for the Rangers being favored, so am looking at this as a value play. Good luck! Note: It’s a great day to take a few minutes to learn about reduced odds baseball wagering!