Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction & Betting Tips - MLB

Prediction published on 13/10/2023, 23:14  by Joseph King | Modified on 15/10/2023 at 12:15 in Baseball Predictions

The ALCS is set for a Lone Star Series with the defending champion Houston Astros hosting the Texas Rangers for game one. The winner of this best-of-seven contest advances to the World Series where they will meet either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Astros dispatched of the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS three games to one following their 3-2 game four win. Houston’s bullpen came in and completely shut down the Twins, not allowing a single hit in the final three innings to secure the one-run victory. The Astros finished the regular season by winning the AL West on the final day with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses. They’re currently one of the hottest teams in baseball, ripping off seven wins from their previous eight games. The defending champions will go with Justin Verlander to start this series. The seasoned 40-year-old finished the regular season with a record of 13-8, a 3.22 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.

The Rangers lost out on the AL West crown on the final day to their opponents today. This meant that they had to pass through the Wild Card rounds, where they would sweep the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0. The strong form for Texas carried over into their ALDS matchup against the highly-touted 101-win Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers cruised past Baltimore, sweeping them 3-0 thanks to a 7-1 game three home win to close out the series. Texas has yet to lose in the playoffs up to this point and are riding a five game winning streak. The offense, which ranked third in the MLB in terms of average runs scored per game (5.48) has been firing on all cylinders. The Rangers will start with Jordan Montgomery yet again, with the lefty now having started game one of all three playoff series.