It all comes down to this. Game 7 of the American League Championship Series is set to get underway Monday night as the Texas Rangers (3-3) take on the Houston Astros (3-3).
Rangers vs AstrosPicks
Pick: Take the Rangers to win (+115) and the under to hit (-115).
Monday night features a ton of drama as intrastate, AL West rivals square off for the opportunity to represent the American League in the World Series. To add to the drama, the road team has won every single game in this series thus far, giving a small edge to the Rangers.
As you consider your MLB picks, read ahead to get a breakdown of this matchup and our Astros vs Rangers best bets.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Odds
Rangers vs. Astros Information
Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros
Location of the game: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX.
Date & Time: Monday, October 23. 8:03 pm ET.
How to watch: National – FOX | FS1-INT
Recent Scores
Entering Game 7, this series has been absolutely wild, as the road team has won every game to date.
- After going down three games to two, the Texas Rangers won Game 6 on Sunday 9-2.
- In the victory, Nathan Eovaldi picked up the win after going 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. Already up 5-2, Adolis Garcia nailed the game shut with a ninth-inning grand slam off of Ryne Stanek.
- As for the Astros, Framber Valdez pitched respectably, allowing three earned runs over five innings. A pair of opposite field home runs did him in, but the bullpen was unable to keep this one close.
- Offensively, Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Jose Abreu had two hits apiece, but the Astros left nine on base after going just one for eight with runners in scoring position.
- Looking at the Houston Astros games this year, they have consistently struggled at home. During the regular season, they were 51-30 on the road but 39-42 at Minute Maid Park.
- As for the Texas Rangers schedule, they were under .500 on the road at 40-41 during the regular season, but they are undefeated on the road this postseason.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Analysis
Game 7 will actually be a rematch of Game 3 in terms of starting pitchers.
Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy will hand the ball to 39-year-old Max Scherzer Monday night. In Game 3, Scherzer allowed five earned runs over just four innings of work. That was his only appearance of the postseason thus far.
In 27 games during the regular season, his MLB player stats show that he was 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, and he had 174 strikeouts in 152.2 innings.
Texas ranks third in MLB team stats in scoring, averaging 5.42 runs per game (4.94 on the road).
The Rangers have been led offensively this postseason by Adolis Garcia, who is hitting .277/.306/.617 with a team-leading five home runs and 15 runs batted in.
Astros’ Offensive Firepower
For Houston, manager Dusty Baker will counter with 26-year-old righty Christian Javier in Game 7. During the regular season, he went 10-5 in 31 MLB games with a 4.56 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, and he had 159 strikeouts in 162 innings.
During the postseason, Javier is 2-0 in two starts with a 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and has 12 strikeouts in 10.2 innings of work.
Offensively, the Astros rank fifth in scoring out of all MLB teams, averaging 5.11 runs per game (4.44 when playing at home).
In 39 postseason at bats, Yordan Alvarez leads the offense with six home runs, 14 runs batted in, and 12 runs scored. He is hitting .436/.477/.949 over that span.
MLB Injury Report
The MLB injury report shows the Rangers are without pitchers Jake Odorizzi (arm) and Jacob deGrom (elbow). The Astros are missing pitchers Lance McCullers Jr (forearm) and Luis Garcia (forearm).
Odds Breakdown
Before determining our Astros vs Rangers best bets, it is important to look at the MLB odds for this game.
Rangers Try To Win As Slight Underdogs
At +115, the Rangers are the slight underdogs in this one playing on the road. In terms of the spread, they are +1.5, with odds of -180.
Astros Try To Finally Pick Up Win At Home As Favorites
Playing at home, the Astros are the favorites in this one with a moneyline of -125. The spread features the Astros -1.5, with odds of +160.
The total for this one sits at 9.5. The over has odds of -105, while the under 9.5 runs has odds of -115.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Betting Pick and Prediction
For our Astros vs Rangers best bets, we will be taking the Rangers to win this contest playing on the road.
Especially with how the trends have gone in this series, there is just too much value in the Rangers in this one. After losing three in a row at home, Sunday’s win has given them a newfound sense of confidence, while the Astros remain shaken playing at home.
In terms of the total, take the under in this one. With two pitchers who have the ability to shut down opposing offenses, getting to the over might be a challenge.
- MLB Pick: Take the Rangers to win (+115) and the under to hit (-115).
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