Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction 7-26-23 MLB Picks

The Rangers and Astros clash Wednesday in game 3 of an MLB series at Minute Maid Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

Rangers Betting Preview

The Rangers need a win after losing 4 of their last 5 games. The Rangers now lead the AL West by just 1 game. The Rangers pitching staff is 15th in ERA (4.17), 7th in WHIP (1.24) and 9th in quality starts (43). The Rangers' offense is 1st in runs per game (5.83), 1st in batting average (.273) and 6th in homers (139). Marcus Semien leads the Rangers with 115 hits and 61 RBI, while Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung have combined for 217 hits and 115 RBI. Andrew Heaney gets the ball, and he is 6-6 with a 4.58 ERA and 100 strikeouts this season. Heaney is 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA and 76 strikeouts in his career against the Astros.

Astros Betting Preview

The Astros have won 3 straight games and are closing the gap on the division. The Astros are an impressive 8-3 since the all star break. The Astros pitching staff is 3rd in ERA (3.75), 13th in WHIP (1.26) and 3rd in quality starts (47). The Astros offense is 12th in runs per game (4.70), 17th in batting average (.248) and 11th in homers (125). Kyle Tucker leads the Astros with 111 hits and 69 RBI, while Alex Bregman and Jose Abreu have combined for 191 hits and 114 RBI. Framber Valdez gets the ball, and he is 8-6 with a 2.94 ERA and 133 strikeouts this season. Valdez is 6-4 with a 2.47 ERA and 84 strikeouts in his career against the Rangers.

Houston Astros Team Facts

• The Astros have won each of their last seven night games against AL West opponents that held a winning record.
• The Astros have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games as home favourites against the Rangers following a win.
• The Astros have led after 3 innings in each of their last seven games as home favourites.

Texas Rangers Team Facts

• The Rangers have lost 29 of their last 33 games at Minute Maid Park against AL West opponents that held a winning record.
• The Rangers have covered the run line in each of their last eight night games against the Astros following a road loss.
• The Rangers have led after 7 innings in each of their last five Wednesday games as underdogs.
• The Rangers have led after 5 innings in each of their last five Wednesday games as underdogs.

Houston Astros Player Prop Facts

• Framber Valdez ranks 5th amongst qualified players for Earned Run Average (2.94) this season.

Texas Rangers Player Prop Facts

• Adolis Garcia ranks T9th in the league in Home Runs (24) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Houston Astros ranks 2nd in the league for ERA this season (3.72).
• The Houston Astros ranks T29th in the league for triples this season (7).
• The Texas Rangers ranks 1st in the league for hits this season (971).
• The Texas Rangers ranks 1st in the league for RBI's this season (567).

Randy’s Pick

The Rangers are going through their worst stretch of the year, while the Astros are playing their best ball of the season in this second half. You should like the Astros to keep things rolling here, given the pitching edge. Andrew Heaney has a 4.58 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, while Framber Valdez has a 2.94 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. In 72 innings at home, Valdez has a 2.13 ERA and .230 allowed batting average. It's hard to turn down the Astros and the reasonable price at home given the starting pitching advantage.