Rangers-Astros prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The AL West is officially up for grabs as the Texas Rangers hit the diamond for their second game of the series against the Houston Astrosseries where our Rangers-Astros prediction and pick will be made.

In a heartbreaking 10-9 walkout loss on Monday, the Rangers have seen their division lead shrink to only two games as the Astros are nipping at their heels. Even though the division race is as close as it's ever been this season, Texas is still in good position to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. In line for the start to help his squad even up the series at one apiece will be the reliever Terry Rodriguez as the Rangers elect for a bullpen day this evening.

For the Astros, Houston has won five out of their last six games overall and are officially clicking on all cylinders. In fact, Houston has only lost three games since coming out of the All-Star Break. After the Astros absolutely erupted on offense as they saw ten runs cross the plate in the win over the Rangers. In an attempt to get on the same page as the offense, the Astros will send out J.P. France who is enduring a stellar year with a 5-3 record and a 3.13 ERA.

Here are the Rangers-Astros MLB odds,

MLB Odds: Rangers-Astros Odds

Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-154)

Houston Astros: -1.5 (+128)

Over: 9 (-104)

Under: 9 (-118)

How To Watch Rangers vs. Astros

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest/Bally Sports Southwest

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 8:10 ET/5:10 PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread

As exciting as Monday evening's game ended up being, the Rangers certainly would've rather preferred coming out on the winning side of things. Simply put, there are certainly some uneasy stomachs in and around the Texas clubhouse as Houston continues to trim their division lead.

Nevertheless, let's not forget how rock-solid this Rangers squad has been in 2o23, especially after coming close to losing 100 games a season. In the midst of their remarkable turnaround, the strength of this Rangers team has been their willingness to do the dirty work on the offensive side of things. Bafflingly enough, the Rangers sport the top offensive statistically with the most runs in all of baseball. Not to mention, Texas also has the highest batting average, the best on-base percentage, and also boasts an elite .461 slugging percentage at the plate. All in all, Texas' best odds come in the form of the bats which were also on full display on Monday.

Unfortunately, despite the offensive success, the Rangers haven't been able to put up the same production from the mound. With that said, that makes the performance of Yerry Rodriguez that much more important. Even though Rodriguez is only projected to pitch the first couple innings of tonight's contest as Texas unloads their bullpen versus Houston, setting the tone from the get-go will prove to be vital. If Rodriguez shows even the slightest of struggles from the bump, then the Rangers could be in for a rude awakening.

Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread

One of the hottest teams in the league, there isn't a whole lot that the opposition can do at the moment. Even when the Astros show a glimpse of weakness from the mound, their electric offense saves the day like they did yesterday. To make a long story short, the defending champs aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

In order to cover the spread in what is a more than important divisional showdown, the Astros have to make it their highest priority for their starting pitching to be at its best. Luckily, there isn't a whole lot of struggling that has occurred on the watch of J.P France who has yet to give up more than three runs since May 29th.

Not only is France one of Houston's more consistent starting hurlers, he also has done a fair job in keeping the baseball in the ballpark. With only one homer surrendered in his prior three starts, it will be key for France to keep the baseball on the ground.

Obviously, the scariest part of this team is an offensive lineup that is still missing its top two hitters. Whether it has been Jordan Alvarez having been sidelined with a nagging oblique injury or Jose Altuve sitting out with the same ailment himself, it appears that both sluggers are on the horizon of returning to play. In fact, rumor has it that Alvarez could see himself back for action as soon as tonight. If this is the case, then the Astros should be in pretty good shape to cover the spread even if Alvarez has to shake off some rust before he returns to his usual form.

Final Rangers-Astros Prediction & Pick

Not only do these teams hate one another with a passion, but this battle of the Lone Star State should be as entertaining as it gets! With game two only hours away from first pitch, expect the Rangers to even up this mid-season series and further extend their division lead.

Final Rangers-Astros Prediction & Pick: Rangers +1.5 (-154)