ALCS Bracket 2023: TV Schedule, Early Odds and Predictions

The Houston Astros are back in the ALCS for the seventh year in a row.

The Astros will play a team from outside the American League East for the first time during their ALCS run.

Houston's in-state AL West rival, the Texas Rangers, is waiting for the reigning World Series champion with a Fall Classic berth on the line.

Texas advanced to the ALCS one day earlier than Houston, as it swept the Baltimore Orioles.

Houston finished off its ALDS matchup with the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday with a 3-1 series victory.

The Astros won 10 of the 14 regular-season meetings between the two sides, but the competition is expected to be much tougher throughout the best-of-seven series.

Texas could potentially throw Max Scherzer in Game 1 or 2 to partner Nathan Eovaldi. Houston can counter with Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez.

The pitching matchups could take up a good amount of the build-up to the ALCS, but the two offenses could rule the series. Each team produced 21 runs in their respective ALDS victories.

Odds to Win American League

Houston (-145; bet $145 to win $100)

Texas (+120; bet $100 to win $120)

Schedule

Game 1: Sunday, October 15

Game 2: Monday, October 16

Game 3: Wednesday, October 18

Game 4: Thursday, October 19

Game 5: Friday, October 20

Game 6: Sunday, October 22

Game 7: Monday, October 23

All game times are TBD, games to be broadcast on Fox or FS1.

It may take a while for the offenses to get going in the ALCS.

Houston can throw Verlander and Valdez on full rest in Games 1 and 2, while Texas will likely turn to Eovaldi in either Game 1 or 2 and could throw Max Scherzer as well.

Scherzer did not pitch in the ALDS, but he is making progress toward potentially throwing in the ALCS, as he detailed to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

"Everything felt 'normal' normal today," Scherzer said after running the bases with his children postgame. "This was best-case scenario. I can come out here [Wednesday], throw a simulated game in a controlled environment and build up more arm strength."

Scherzer's potential return would reinforce a Texas rotation that received a pair of strong outings from Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery in the wild-card round and ALDS. Andrew Heaney chipped in with an impressive outing in ALDS Game 1.

Whichever pitchers Texas start on Sunday and Monday will go up against Verlander and Valdez, two of the most consistent postseason pitchers in the last decade.

Verlander gave up four hits in six innings in his ALDS start versus Minnesota. Valdez gave up five runs on seven hits in 4.1 frames against the Twins, but he has thrown six or more innings in four of his six career ALCS starts.

The starting pitching could rule the series in Games 1 and 2, but eventually some of the superstars on each side will wake up at the dish, and one in particular could shift the dynamic of the series.

Corey Seager is the only hitter on the Texas roster who can match the postseason experience of Houston's top hitters.

The left-handed hitting shortstop will appear in his 67th postseason game between the Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers in ALCS Game 1.

Seager started the postseason with a pair of multi-hit games against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Baltimore respected the shortstop's bat so much that it walked him on nine occasions, including five times in Game 2.

Seager scored a pair of runs in Games 2 and 3 of the ALDS and he kicked off the scoring on Tuesday with a home run.

The former Dodgers slugger hit seven of his 14 career postseason home runs at the championship series stage. Five of his nine multi-RBI playoff performances came at this stage as well.

Seager can act as the tone setter in the Rangers offense against any type of pitcher, and it would not come as a surprise that he produces the best offensive numbers of any player in the series, no matter if Texas wins or loses.

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