Astros vs Rangers Prediction, Picks and MLB Prop Bets, Thursday, 5/15: Ride Underdog Houston (+117)

It’s rivalry week in MLB, which can only mean one thing: A Texas showdown is about to pop off on Thursday night in the first of a four-game series between the 22-20 Houston Astros and the 23-21 Texas Rangers.

With the Astros and Rangers sending out their best pitchers, Hunter Brown and Jacob deGrom, respectively, both prized MLB futures betting picks when talking about Cy Young Award aspirations, let’s break down the best picks and predictions for tonight’s series opener at Globe Life Field.

Astros vs Rangers Prediction Today, May 15, 2025

My prediction

• Houston Astros ML (+117)

I’ve never been a fan of the Astros and I’ll probably never be. But that doesn’t take away from the fact I can recognize when Houston is doing things right (without cheating), like recently.

Snagging two out of three games in their latest series against the Kansas City Royals, having won four of their last six games and sitting one game behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West standings, Houston has enough juice in the tank to go for a win tonight.

As MLB betting odds underdogs, at +117 odds, trust Houston straight up.

Bet on Astros ML (+117)

• Astros vs Rangers Under 7 (-115)

I’m a sucker for pitching duels and tonight’s Astros vs Rangers game offers just that.

Both Brown and DeGrom offer top value when targeting pitching MLB player props today and should be enough of a sign to see that this game has all the fixings for the run total to go under seven.

Even with both offenses looking good right now, I’m taking the pitching duel here as the main attraction and the total going under seven as my MLB prediction.

Bet on Astros vs Rangers Under 7 (-115)

Astros vs Rangers Prop Picks and Best Bets

• Hunter Brown Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+102)

With how Brown’s been pitching all season long, it’s no wonder MLB news today talks about him as an early favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award.

Coming into tonight with a 6-1 record, a 1.48 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, there are plenty of betting opportunities to target. For this game though, I’m focusing on him beating his over 6.5 strikeouts at +102 odds.

Brown’s fanned nine batters in each of his last four games, showing that going over 6.5 should not be an issue tonight, even if Texas is not a team prone to chasing strikes.

Again, at +102 odds, this MLB prop screams low risk and high value.

Bet on Hunter Brown Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+102)

• Astros to score first (-130)

Looking at the most recent MLB stats, for this game I have to give the offensive edge to Houston. Even if Texas put up four runs in the first inning of Wednesday’s 8-3 win over Colorado, it’s the Rockies. I could score four runs on Colorado without breaking a sweat.

Houston has better hitters and has produced more runs this season than the Rangers. Guessing Brown will come out tossing fire from the start, I’ll buy into the Astros opening up the score here as my MLB prop pick today to back their starter and offer a comfortable run cushion to work with.

Bet on Astros to score first (-130)

• NRFI (-157)

While I like how both offenses have been performing lately, there’s a simple reason to back a scoreless first inning tonight – the starting pitchers.

Both Brown and DeGrom are coming into this game showing great form and should be poised to put on a pitching show from the get-go. Just as I expect this to be a low-scoring affair in general, my MLB expert pick here is to bet on runs in the first.

Bet on NRFI (-157)

Astros vs Rangers How to Watch

• Game: Astros (22-20) vs Rangers (23-21)
• Date/Time: Thursday, May 15, 8:05 p.m. ET
• Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
• Astros vs Rangers Live Stream: MLB.tv

Check out the best Astros vs Rangers stats.

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• Astros vs Rangers Same Game Parlay Picks, Thursday, 5/15

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.