Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction and Betting Odds August 9
Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his analysis of Tuesday’s Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers clash at Minute Maid Park. The Astros have won eight of 11 matchups between these two teams so far this season.
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| Tuesday, August 9 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Houston Astros -190 vs Texas Rangers +158 |
| Runline: | Astros +1.5 (+115) / Rangers -1.5 (-135) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -100 / Under -120) |
| Game Time: | 8:10pm ET / 5:10pm PT |
| Where: | Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX |
| Weather: | Retractable Roof |
Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Analysis
The Houston Astros host the Texas Rangers in a Lone Star matchup at Minute Maid Park. The ‘Stros split a four game series in Cleveland against the Guardians, and the Rangers split four with the White Sox in Arlington.
It’s a good pitching matchup tonight as southpaw Martin Perez gets the nod against right hander Jose Urquidy. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM EDT.
Houston is one of the best teams in baseball with a 70-40 record, leading the AL West and 11.5 games ahead of the Mariners. The Rangers have been disappointing this year with a 48-60 mark, 21.0 games behind the Astros.
Perez Continues to Impress
Martin Perez has had a much better than expected season, and is a candidate for the American League Comeback Player of the Year. He’s 9-2 with a 2.47 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.
The journeyman southpaw has pitched slightly better on the road than at home, but has a sub-3.00 ERA both at and away from Globe Life Field.
The Rangers have continued to play fair-to-middlin’ baseball after the All-Star Break, with a 7-11 record. They’re 18th in team OPS, and 21st in team ERA, but have been saved at the plate by the long ball, with the 8th most long flies at 133.
Urquidy Quickly Getting it Together
Jose Urquidy has been considered one of the Astros worst starters for most of the season. However, his pitching in 2022 has been like a fine wine – getting better as the season went along.
The right-hander has a 10-4 record with a 3.62 ERA and a solid 1.15 WHIP in 20 starts and 114.1 innings. His ERA was in the 4’s and 5’s during the first half of the season, but hen he figured things out and posted a 2.73 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in July. His last nine starts have been quality ones – going at least 6.0 innings and giving up three earned runs or less.
Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction
Houston has dominated the Rangers this year, winning eight of 11 games. But they’ve also done this to just about every other team in MLB. And there just aren’t many (if any) weaknesses with this team. The ‘Stros are in the top 10 in OPS, 2nd in staff ERA and 1st in bullpen ERA.
Tonight should be a really good pitching matchup between Perez and Urquidy, and the Houston offense isn’t in great current form – only scoring two combined runs in their last two games in Cleveland.
Plus, the Rangers have struggled to score runs against the Astros this season. That’s why I’ll take the full game under total runs scored.
Prediction: Under 8 Total Runs Scored
First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Tuesday, August 9
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WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.
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