Rangers vs Astros Prediction and Betting Odds April 28
Rangers vs Astros Betting Preview and Odds
Houston has taken two of three from the Rangers as Texas tries to even things up before welcoming in the defending World Series Champion Braves tomorrow. WagerTalk MLB Analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros betting preview for Thursday, April 28, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:05pm ET / 11:05am PT.
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| Thursday, April 28 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Texas Rangers +150 vs Houston Astros -160 |
| Runline: | Rangers +1.5 (-115) / Astros -1.5 (-105) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -115 / Under -105) |
| Game Time: | 2:05pm ET / 11:05am PT |
| Where: | Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX |
| Weather: | 78 Degrees / Clear |
Rangers vs Astros Analysis
The Houston Astros finish a four-game set with the Texas Rangers Thursday afternoon as Justin Verlander goes against Martin Perez. The Rangers have dropped two of the first three games, and hope to even it up.
Offense Getting Together For Astros
Justin Verlander is pitching this season like he never had Tommy John surgery. In three starts he’s pitched 19.0 innings with a 1.89 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, giving up 10 hits, four walks and three home runs.
The last number is the only cause for pause, but they were against two of the best hitting lineups in baseball, the Angels and the Blue Jays – and coming off a shortened spring training.
Houston’s offense has picked up the pace the last two games, scoring a combined nine runs. Team hitting is just below average at 19th in league OPS, team batting average is barely above the Mendoza line at .209 – but the sticks are trending in the right direction.
Two Astros hitters with a lot of success off Perez are Yuri Gurriel, 7-for-14 with 2 RBI and Martin Maldonado, 9-for-15 with 4 RBI. Something to keep in mind for possible prop bets or your daily fantasy lineups.
Semien Surprisingly Solid Versus Verlander
Martin Perez started the year with a couple of rocky starts at Globe Life Field, but pitched well in his last outing at Oakland. The Venezuelan left-hander went 6.0 innings, gave up just two hits, one walk, no earned runs and struck out five.
His career numbers are nothing to write home about, with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP in over 1,100 innings of work.
The Texas offense is very similar to Houston’s as they’re just behind the Astros at 21st in team OPS at .635, with a slightly better team average of .227.
One bright spot in the Texas lineup: Rangers shortstop Marcus Semien has a lifetime .323 batting average against Verlander in 31 at-bats.
Rangers vs Astros Prediction
The Astros have the starting pitching edge, the better bullpen and they’re the defending American League champs. For the Rangers, there’s no way to sugar-coat it: They aren’t very good, and one of the worst teams in the American League.
While I think Houston could cover the full game money line, it all depends on the relievers. And bullpens are kind of like ripe fruit: You never know when they could go bad. That’s why I’ll take the Astros on the 1st 5 innings run line.
Prediction: Astros 1st 5 Innings Run Line
Interested in placing a bet on Thursday’s Rangers vs Astros AL West 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 28
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. Marlins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez takes his MLB best 0.52 ERA into Nationals Park for his start against Washington tonight. 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 Thursday’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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