Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction and Betting Odds August 30
Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his analysis of Tuesday’s Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros clash at Globe Life Field. The Rangers lost two of three against the Tigers most recently while the Astros lost two of three to the Orioles.
| Tuesday, August 30 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Texas Rangers +135 vs Houston Astros -160 |
| Runline: | Rangers +1.5 (-130) / Astros -1.5 (+110) |
| Total: | 7.5 Runs (Over +100 / Under -120) |
| Time: | 8:10pm ET / 5:10pm ET |
| Where: | Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX |
| Weather: | Retractable Roof |
Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Analysis
The Texas Rangers host the Houston Astros Tuesday night in the first of a quick two game series. The Rangers lost two of three games to the Tigers at home last weekend, while Houston lost two of three to the Orioles at Minute Maid Park. Framber Valdez and Dane Dunning are your starters, first pitch at Globe Life Field is set for 8:05 PM EDT.
Dunning Needs to Decrease Walks
Sharp bettors were on the Rangers earlier this season, but they haven’t quite lived up to pre or early-season expectations. Texas is 11 games below .500 and 11 games behind the Rays for the final wild card berth. Inconsistent hitting and poor pitching have been the reasons why they’ll watch the playoffs on TV.
The Rangers are 13th in team OPS, 14th in batting average, 8th in home runs and 10th in runs scored. However, they’re just 21st in team ERA and 23rd in WHIP – but 12th in bullpen ERA.
Dane Dunning’s season is very similar to the Rangers: Up and down with some solid performances, but not consistently good enough at the major league level. In 24 starts and 129 innings, he’s put up a 4.19 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP with 112 strikeouts.
Control has been OK as he’s allowed 50 walks, which comes to 3.5 free passes per nine innings – a little higher than you’d like to see, but not bad. And he’s only allowed 13 home runs on the year, which comes to just under one bomb per nine innings.
Valdez Undervalued
Framber Valdez doesn’t get as much press as his teammate Justin Verlander, but he’s still done an excellent job in the Astros rotation this year. In 24 starts he’s compiled a 13-4 record with a 2.65 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, plus 142 strikeouts in 156 innings.
The southpaw has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball, as he’s given up just three earned runs or less in 23 of 24 starts. Valdez would probably be the #1 starter on almost every other team in MLB, and is a big reason why the Astros have another great chance to play in the World Series.
The Astros have played good baseball this year, even though they lost two of three to an overlooked Baltimore squad last weekend.
They had some minor issues with Jeremy Pena struggling to hit breaking pitches, and less-than-expected performances from the bullpen earlier this month. However, if this team stays healthy, they should be fine heading into the playoffs.
Kyle Tucker is having a really good season and has hit Rangers pitching really well. The Astros outfielder has 22 home runs, 82 RBi and an .815 OPS on the year, and he has 16 RBI and an impressive 1.03 OPS versus the Rangers.
I don’t know if this Houston lineup is better than the Dodgers, but it’s in the conversation as one of the best in MLB. Tucker has been a great addition to an already stacked lineup that includes Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez.
Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction
While Dunning has pitched well against the Astros this year in his two starts, he hasn’t been as good or consistent as Framber Valdez in 2022. Houston has played well against their in-state rival, winning 29 of the last 43 games versus the Rangers the last three seasons (including 2022).
I think they’ll bounce back from last weekend’s series with one of their best pitchers taking the hill. That’s why I’ll take the Astros on the 1st 5 innings run line.
Prediction: Astros 1st 5 Inning Run Line (-0.5 runs)
First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Tuesday, August 30
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. 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 Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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