Rangers vs. Astros Prediction
The Houston Astros will send Justin Verlander to the hill tonight when they open a series against the in-state foe Texas Rangers. Will Houston notch the win as favorites?
Game Snapshot
975 Texas Rangers at 976 Houston Astros
Friday, July 19, 2019
Minute Maid Park at 8:10PM ET
TV: ATT SportsNet-SW
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Astros are a -205 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Rangers are a +188 underdog, while the over-under is set at 8 runs. As of Friday morning, 79 percent of public bets are pouring in on host Houston. Check out our MLB Public Betting Page for up-to-date information.
Rangers hammered by D-Backs
Texas lost by a score of 19-4 at home Thursday afternoon versus Arizona to drop to 50-46 overall and 31-21 at home. The Rangers fell behind 12-0 in the second inning and the rout was on. Danny Santana paced the Texas offense as he finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. Logan Forsythe ended the contest 1-for-3 with a solo homer plus a walk. Hunter Pence ended the game 1-for-4 with a run scored. Jesse Chavez took the loss as he surrendered seven earned runs on five hits with no strikeouts and one walk over two-thirds of an inning. Mike Minor draws the start tonight as he enters with an 8-4 record, 2.73 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 121 strikeouts over 122 innings pitched.
Astros salvage split
Houston picked up a 6-2 victory at the LA Angels last night to take two out of four games in the series. George Springer helped pace the Astros offense as he ended the contest 2-for-5 with a solo home run. Alex Bregman went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and three runs scored. Yordan Alvarez was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Wade Miley picked up the win as he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. Justin Verlander will start tonight for Houston as he comes in with an 11-4 record, 2.98 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 160 strikeouts over 132 2/3 innings.
MLB Betting Trends
Texas
The Rangers are 1-4 in their last five road games. Texas is 4-1 in the last five Minor road starts.
Houston
The Astros are 9-4 in the last 13 Verlander home starts. Houston is 11-5 in its lsat 16 games overall.
Prediction:
Minor will provide a tough test for the Astros, but they just saw him in Arlington last week and possess a lineup full of strong right-handed bats. With Verlander on the mound against a fading Texas squad, I’d rather find a different game to take a big risk on. I’m defintely siding with Houston in this one.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ASTROS -205