Astros vs Rangers MLB Betting Online for a American League Championship Series rematch

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A rematch of the 2023 American League Championship Series highlights Friday’s MLB action as the Houston Astros visit the Texas Rangers, who won that ALCS in seven games on the way to their first World Series title

MLB Expert Analysis Houston vs Texas | MyBookie Sportsbook MLB Week 1 2024 Season

How to Bet Astros at Rangers MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 8:05 PM ET
Where: Globe Life Field
Probable pitchers (away/home): Hunter Brown/Cody Bradford
TV: None national
Stream/gameday audio: Apple TV+
Opening MLB Lines: Astros -130, Rangers +110 (total 5)

Astros vs Rangers Last Meeting

The last time we saw these bitter rivals face one another was Game 7 of the 2023 ALCS in Houston. Adolis Garcia homered twice and drove in five runs for the Rangers in their 11-4 win to advance to the Fall Classic. Garcia had four hits, scored three times and was the obvious choice for ALCS MVP. Corey Seager got the Rangers started with a long homer in a three-run first inning. The road team won every game of that series, which is almost impossible to believe.

Why Bet on Houston Astros?

The Astros were stunningly swept four games at home to open the season against the Yankees but bounced back to start this week by taking two of three at home vs. Toronto. On Monday, Ronel Blanco threw a shocking no-hitter. On Tuesday, the Astros were up 1-0 in the ninth but star closer Josh Hader, the team’s big offseason acquisition, gave up a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth and Houston lost.

On Wednesday, the Astros cruised to an 8-0 win and allowed just one hit. AL MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI on Wednesday. Alvarez came into the contest mired in a 3-for-24 slump to begin the season, but he turned things around in a big way.

Alvarez pounded the ball all five times he was at the plate — a 105.4 mph single in the first inning, a 108.2 mph homer in the third, a 109.5 mph double in the fourth and a 109.5 mph homer in the sixth. Even his only out, a fly out to center in the seventh, was scorched. It traveled 404 feet at 105.4 mph off the bat. He became the first player in the Statcast era (since 2015) to have five batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 105 mph and three batted balls with a projected distance of at least 400 feet in a single game. It was the 16th career multi-homer game for the Cuban and the sixth time he’s had four hits.

“It was a matter of time,” manager Joe Espada said. “Anytime he can put some good swings like that and hit some balls hard and it’s a good sign and that’s exactly what we needed.”

Shortstop Jeremy Pena knocked an RBI single in the fifth inning, then went deep with a two-run blast in the seventh. The homer was his second in the past three games and he has six RBI over that stretch. Pena has four multi-hit games on the campaign and is slashing .400/.444/.680 through 27 plate appearances. Jose Altuve had a solo homer in the win. He now has three homers on the season, all of which have come in his last four games. Altuve has also begun the new campaign with a seven-game hitting streak, including three multi-hit performances.

Second-year right-hander Hunter Brown (0-0, 1.50) takes the mound Friday. Brown took a no-decision last Saturday, permitting one unearned run over four innings against the Yankees. The only damage managed against Brown came when they scored on a Jose Abreu fielding error. They made him work, though, as Brown wasn’t able to go beyond four innings because he threw 88 pitches. The right-hander fanned five batters on the day.

In his career against Texas, Brown is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA (3ER/17IP) with 16 strikeouts and just 2 walks in 3 career games. That 1.59 ERA vs. the Rangers since his debut in ‘22 is the 3rd-lowest among MLB pitchers during that span (minimum 17 innings pitched).

This is Houston’s first road game and the team’s 51-30 (.630) road record in 2023 was the second-best in the majors. In addition, the Astros were 5-0 on the road in the playoffs, including three wins at Texas in the ALCS. They have won eight straight games at Globe Life Field dating to the 2023 regular season.

Bet Astros to Win
MLB Daily Lines

Why Bet on Texas Rangers?

Texas (4-2) has won both of its series so far and took the rubber match at the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, 4-1. Corey Seager broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer in the sixth off Aaron Civale and Josh Smith added a two-run single during a three-run ninth against Garrett Cleavinger.

Scuffling Rangers closer Jose Leclerc gave up an RBI single to Harold Ramírez in the ninth. After José Caballero hit a flyout to the warning track with two on, Curtis Mead. hit a game-ending comebacker. Leclerc has a 20.25 ERA in three appearances, allowing six earned runs over 2 2/3 innings. Setup man David Robertson pitched a scoreless inning Wednesday and has been sharp to start the season, allowing just three hits and three walks over four scoreless appearances. He might take the closer job from Leclerc as Robertson has plenty of ninth-inning experience.

AL Rookie of the Year favorite Wyatt Langford, who opened the season with a five-game hit streak, experienced his first hitless game as a major leaguer Wednesday. He is 6-for-25 with two walks, a triple, three RBI and a run scored to start his MLB career.

The Rangers got some bad news earlier this week when All-Star third baseman Josh Jung was hit on the wrist during Monday’s game vs. the Rays. It turned out to be a fractured wrist that required surgery and he will miss 8-10 weeks. The fourth-place finisher in 2023’s AL Rookie of the Year voting, Jung carries a.271/.320/.483 slash in 534 plate appearances dating back to last season. He went 7-for-17 with a pair of homers in his first 19 plate appearances of the 2024 campaign despite missing most of spring training with a calf strain.

Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran likely will share time at third. The team called up 2020 first-round pick and infield prospect Justin Foscue to take Jung’s roster spot. The 25-year-old was the No. 14 pick in the 2020 draft and is a .275/.379/.496 career hitter in the minors.

Left-hander Cody Bradford (1-0, 3.60) gets the start Friday. Bradford earned a victory Saturday versus the Cubs, permitting two runs on three hits and a walk over five frames. He struck out six. Bradford left a fastball up in the second inning to Dansby Swanson, who deposited it over the left-field wall for a two-run homer. That wound up being the only damage as Bradford needed just 76 pitches to cruise through his five frames. He is expected to lose his spot in the Rangers’ rotation once Michael Lorenzen (neck) is deemed ready to return.

Bradford made his MLB debut last season, posting a 5.30 ERA in 56 innings. He appeared in 20 games, starting eight of them, and recorded 51 strikeouts compared to just 12 walks. He became a key part of the bullpen during the Rangers’ World Series run, allowing just one run in 7 2/3 innings over five postseason appearances. The southpaw has thrived in his career on his command and control of the strike zone with the changeup and slider.

Bet Rangers to Win
MLB Daily Lines

Astros vs Rangers Expert Prediction

Astros 5, Rangers 4

MLB Conferences Winners

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