Rangers vs Astros Prediction and Betting Odds April 25
Rangers vs Astros Betting Preview and Odds
Cleveland ace Shane Bieber will take the mound for the Guardians and will go up against Michael Lorenzen who looks to improve his 4.82 ERA. WagerTalk MLB Analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros betting preview for Monday, April 25, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:05pm ET / 5:05pm PT.
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| Monday, April 25 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Texas Rangers +125 vs Houston Astros -135 |
| Runline: | Rangers +1.5 (-140) / Astros -1.5 (+120) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -130 / Under +110) |
| Game Time: | 8:05pm ET / 5:05pm PT |
| Where: | Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX |
| Weather: | 60 Degrees / Clear |
Rangers vs Astros Analysis
The Houston Astros pay a visit to Globe Life Field to play the Texas Rangers in the first of a four-game series. Southpaw Framber Valdez goes against right-hander Dane Dunning.
Houston struggled this past week, losing four of six games at home to the Blue Jays and Angels. Both the team’s pitching and hitting have regressed to the bottom half of baseball in terms of ERA and OPS. However, the offense showed signs of life scoring eight runs in their series finale win against Toronto.
Valdez Figuring Out His Groove
Starter Framber Valdez takes the hill for Houston, and has gotten off to a slow start. In three starts and 14.0 innings, he’s compiled a 4.50 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, given up 12 hits, 10 walks and struck out 10.
His career numbers are better than current form, so he’s probably due for some positive regression. Team pitching is slightly below average with an 18th-best 3.65 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
Rangers Rallying Around Veteran Hitting
The Rangers pitching staff has gotten better the last few games, as they only gave up a combined three runs in three games at Oakland. It lowered their team ERA to 5.08 and WHIP to 1.44, which is still the 3rd-worst ERA in baseball. Starting pitching has been about average, and the bullpen has been the issue in most of the Rangers’ losses.
Dane Dunning hasn’t started the year very well, with a 5.68 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, giving up 17 hits and 14 walks, and striking out 14.
His career stats are pedestrian, with a 4.49 ERA and 1.41 WHIP, but averaging a strikeout per inning. Granted, it’s only his third year in the majors and only had one full year of work in 2021. While he still has room for growth, right now he’s struggling against major league bats.
Rangers hitting was a bright spot to start the year, but has slumped in recent games with a 21st-best OPS of .638 and .228 team batting average. They have a talented lineup that includes Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Nathaniel Lowe.
Plus, they’ve hit left-handed pitching very well this season, and they face a talented but struggling left-hander in Valdez. It’s difficult to time trends and events, but I don’t think the Rangers’ bats will stay in a hitting slump for too much longer.
Rangers vs Astros Prediction
Valdez and Dunning have inflated numbers coming into tonight’s game, and the Rangers bullpen will have to show more improvement before I can think about betting a full game under.
The Rangers are back home after a weekend in Oakland at a more pitcher-friendly park early in the season, and Houston put up eight runs on Sunday in its win against the Blue Jays.
I think they can carry that positive momentum into today’s game. That’s why I like the full game over eight runs.
Prediction: Over 8 Total Runs Scored
Interested in placing a bet on Monday’s Rangers vs Astros American League clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for April 25
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. It’s a day full of aces as Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler, Corbin Burnes and Shane Bieber all take the mound for their respective teams. Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
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 Monday’s baseball games, including this Rangers vs Astros 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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