Houston’s defense of its 2017 World Series championship begins today on the road vs a Rangers team that the Astros had their way with in 2017. They won the season series 12-7, but they owned the Rangers at Globe Life Park, going 7-2 while sweeping Texas twice. The lofty expectations for the Astros begin on Day 1, as they opened as a -163 favorite for the game.
- The Rangers are 26-8 SU in their last 34 games at home with Cole Hamels as the starting pitcher.
- Rougned Odor is 0-for-18 in his career vs Justin Verlander.
- The Rangers are on a seven-game losing streak as a home underdog.
Justin Verlander will attempt to get Houston off to a winning start, and if last year is any indication, Houston backers should expect lots of wins when he takes the mound. Since becoming an Astro, he’s appeared in 11 games and Houston has picked up the win in 10 of them. That’s pretty good. One of the wins was a dominant 11-strikeout performance in Arlington that ended with a 12-2 score.
The Rangers will be looking to erase some unpleasant memories of a late September sweep at the hands of the ’Stros where they were outscored 37-7. That’s not a typo. Cole Hamels will attempt to silence their bats and also return to his dominant form of years past after struggling last season and posting a 4.20 ERA that was his worst since 2009.
The game has a total of 9.5 runs which is a mark the teams topped in 10 of their 19 matchups last season. That doesn’t give bettors much of an edge, but it’s worth considering that the Astros were a great OVER bet on the road last season, going 51-33-6 O/U.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Texas was a +149 moneyline underdog earlier in the day at Sportsbook, based on the starting pitcher matchup. That pairing made oddsmakers at Sportsbook pick an Sportsbook OVER/UNDER number of 10.
OddsShark computer prediction formulas pick a 2.6-2.0 win for the Astros on Thursday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
78-84 Texas battles the Astros, currently with a 112-68 mark. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Texas vs Houston injuries news.
The Rangers sit at No. 27 in the current MLB power poll here at OddsShark, while the Astros sit at No. 2 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features the Texas Rangers' No. 8-ranked offence of a year ago that averaged 4.93 runs per game, against a Houston Astros offense that rated No. 1, scoring 5.41 runs per game. The Rangers averaged 8.2 hits per game, less than the Astros hitters managed (9.59 per nine innings).
Houston brings the No. 7-rated defense of 2017 to this matchup, facing the Rangers' No. 21-ranked defense.
- Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- Houston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
- Houston is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
- Houston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- Texas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
- Texas is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Texas's last 15 games
- Texas is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Houston at Texas, Friday, March 30
