Rangers Laboring at Home
The Texas Rangers try to reverse their struggles at home when they host the Houston Astros in the first of a four-game series on Monday night. Texas lost to Oakland on Sunday, which snapped a three-game winning streak for the Rangers, who are in last place in the American League West.
Houston pulled out a 10-inning victory on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays to end a four-game losing streak, though the Astros are still a game under .500. This game is important for both teams as they start the weeklong series, so check out our in-depth preview of the contest before you make any bet online.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Astros vs Rangers. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Astros Hope Road Brings Some Offense
The Houston Astros got back into the win column on Sunday, pulling out an 8-7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in 10 innings. Those eight runs were more than the team had scored in the entire four-game losing streak preceding Sunday’s game.
The Astros are batting just .209 as a team and they’re currently without leadoff hitter Jose Altuve, who is sidelined with a hamstring strain. Altuve hasn’t been himself at the plate, batting just .167 with just one extra-base hit and two runs scored.
Designated hitter Michael Brantley has started to heat up after some early struggles, leading the team with a .316 batting average. Brantley was 6-for-12 in the three-game series against the Blue Jays, including a double, a home run and two RBIs in Sunday’s finale.
Left-hander Framber Valdez will get the start for Monday’s opener. Valdez is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts this season. Valdez had a rough last outing, lasting 4⅓ innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday and allowing six runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking four.
Rangers Looking for More at Home
The Texas Rangers may be one of the few teams that would prefer playing on the road. Texas is just 1-5 at Globe Life Field compared to 4-5 on the road. Much of that has to do with the team’s pitching, which heated up on the road trip.
“I think everybody as a whole just has a little bit more confidence,” Texas pitcher Spencer Howard said after Sunday’s loss. “It feels more like midseason form, if that’s what you want to say. Everybody has a role, and we’re going out there, eating innings and punching tickets. That’s really what you want to see.”
Dane Dunning will try to keep the pitching roll going for the Rangers on Monday night. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in three starts, giving up at least two runs in each outing. Dunning’s last start saw him go four innings against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three and walking three.
Offensively, the Rangers have been spreading things out in the power department, with four players tied for the team lead with two home runs. One of those is catcher Jonah Heim, who is batting .360 and has a team-high nine RBIs along with a double and eight runs scored.
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe has a team-best .373 batting average, which ranks fourth in baseball. Lowe has three doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and five runs scored.
Astros vs Rangers Head-to-Head
As might be expected, the Houston Astros have had the edge over their in-state division rival over the last few years, including a 14-5 season series record in 2021. The Texas Rangers earned a tie in the season series in 2020 at five wins apiece, the only time in five seasons they haven’t lost the series to the Astros.
Playing at Globe Life Field saw the Rangers competitive in 2021, as they split the 10 games played there against the Astros. The MLB lines still see the Astros as the favorites on Monday.
Astros vs Rangers Game Information
- Game: Houston Astros (7-8) vs texas Rangers (5-10)
- Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
- Day/Time: Monday, 8:05 p.m. ET
- Astros vs Rangers Live stream: MLB.tv
Astros vs Rangers Betting Lines
Astros vs Rangers Prediction
The Texas Rangers have been getting some good pitching over the last few games, but Dunning has really had his problems keeping teams off the scoreboard. The Houston Astros are hoping to use the momentum from Sunday’s win to start this series off right, and we think they will.
When doing your MLB betting, take Houston to pick up the win on the road.
