Stay on top of the latest MLB news and betting notes<\/a> from Vegas!<\/em><\/p>\n The Houston Astros pay a visit to Globe Life Field to take on the Texas Rangers in the first of a three game series, as right hander Cristian Javier takes the bump against southpaw Taylor Hearn.<\/p>\n Houston dropped two of three games to Miami at home, while Texas took two of three from the White Sox in Chicago. The Astros are a -160 favorite and the home team is a +150 underdog with a run total of 9.<\/p>\n While the Astros have an 8th best team OPS at .728 and a .239 average, they still haven’t hit left-handers well for the season.<\/p>\n They have only a 20th best OPS of .700 with a .225 batting average versus southpaws, but two Houston hitters have had good results against Hearn, as Yordan Alvarez is 4-for-9 and Alex Bregman is 4-for-10. If you like the prop bets, take a look at hitting props for these two Astros.<\/p>\n The pitching staff has gotten better with time, as they have the 2nd best team ERA of 3.03 and a 1.13 WHIP. The Astros also have the lowest bullpen ERA in MLB at 2.63 with a 1.11 WHIP.<\/p>\n Starter Taylor Hearn has a lot of talent and potential, but it hasn’t translated into good numbers for the year. In 11 starts and 50.0 innings, he’s compiled a 5.40 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP and 47 strikeouts.<\/p>\n Control has been an issue with the Texas native, as he’s given up 25 walks and seven home runs. That translates to 4.5 walks and just over one home run per nine innings.<\/p>\n The walks are the big reason why Hearn doesn’t pitch deep into games. He’s only made it to the 6th inning in two of his 11 starts, and has averaged less than five innings per outing.<\/p>\n At the start of the season, the Texas bullpen was one of the worst in MLB, and now they’re in the top 1\/3rd with an 8th best ERA of 3.51 and a 1.25 WHIP.<\/p>\n The Rangers have also seen improvement at the plate, as they have a 21st best OPS of .683 with a team average of .234.<\/p>\n Texas has a 25th best OPS against right-handed pitching at .656 and a .231 team batting average. So on paper, this matchup wouldn’t seem to bode well for the home team.<\/p>\n There is one exception to this rule: Kole Calhoun, who’s gone 7-for-10 against Javier with three home runs and three RBI.<\/p>\n The Astros have hit Hearn well in the two times they’ve faced him, scoring eight runs in 9.2 innings. While Javier has had some struggles as a starter, I think he should be fine against a Rangers lineup that doesn’t hit right-handers that well. That’s why I’ll lean to the Astros on the moneyline.<\/p>\n Prediction: Houston Astros Moneyline<\/strong><\/p>\n Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch every weekday at 1:45pm ET \/ 10:45am PT as we discuss the baseball betting slate.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n Monday, June 13<\/th>\n MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Moneyline:<\/td>\n Texas Rangers +150 vs Houston Astros -160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Runline:<\/td>\n Rangers +1.5 (-125) \/ Astros -1.5 (+105)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Total:<\/td>\n 9 Runs (Over -115 \/ Under -105)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Game Time:<\/td>\n 8:05pm ET \/ 5:05pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Where:<\/td>\n Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Weather:<\/td>\n 90 Degrees \/ Clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Analysis<\/h2>\n
Houston Astros Betting Preview<\/h3>\n
Texas Rangers Betting Preview<\/h3>\n
Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction<\/h2>\n
First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Monday, June 13<\/h3>\n
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