Astros vs. Rangers Betting (April 25): Back Runs in AL West Matchup

Lone Star State rivals meet for the first time this season this week as the Houston Astros visit the Texas Rangers for a four-game series. Tonight’s matchup at Globe Life Field in Arlington sees Framber Valdez take the hill for the Astros opposite Dane Dunning for the Rangers.

Neither team has had a stellar start to the season, as both teams come in under .500 and looking up at the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, and Oakland A’s in the AL West standings. So, winning this week’s series will certainly be a boost for either team. How will the opener play out?

Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers April 25 Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Game Matchup: Houston Astros (7-8, 4th in the AL West) vs. Texas Rangers (5-10, 5th in the AL West)
• Venue & Location: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
• Date: Monday, April 25, 2022
• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• How to Watch Tonight’s Astros vs. Rangers Game: AT&T SportsNet Southwest (regional), MLB Extra Innings (subscription package)

Astros vs. Rangers Probable Starting Pitching Matchup

• Houston Astros: Framber Valdez (2022: 3 starts, 1-1, 4.50 ERA)
• Texas Rangers: Dane Dunning (2022: 3 starts, 0-1, 5.68 ERA)

Astros vs. Rangers Betting Odds

Odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook.

Moneyline

• Houston Astros -142
• Texas Rangers +120

Over/Under

• OVER 8 (-120)
• UNDER 8 (-102)

Run Line

• Houston Astros -1.5 (+118)
• Texas Rangers +1.5 (-142)

Can the Astros Get Back on Track?

The Astros started out the new season on a good note, winning four of their first five games. But they have hit a rough patch, winning only three of their last ten games.

They enter this series with consecutive series losses to the Mariners, Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays, with the latter two coming at Minute Maid Park. Given that Houston had the fifth-best home record in the majors last season at 51-30, that is an especially undesirable start.

Early struggles at the plate have been the glaring issue for the Astros, who led MLB in batting average (.267) and runs per game (5.33) last season. Through fifteen games this season, Houston is hitting only .209 as a team and averaging just 3.6 runs per game.

Chas McCormick (.324) and Michael Brantley (.316) are both hitting over .300, while Alex Bregman is off to a decent start (.294, three homers, 12 RBI). And rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena has three homers and ten runs scored, which is a pretty solid start for a rookie.

But the numbers make for rough reading otherwise. Jose Altuve, who went on the injured list last week with a hamstring injury, is hitting only .167, while Yordan Alvarez (.158) and Kyle Tucker (.127) are in the mire early as well.

Individual Batting Averages for the Houston Astros

• Chas McCormick .324
• Michael Brantley .316
• Alex Bregman .294
• Jeremy Pena .260
• Jose Siri .222
• Yuli Gurriel .213
• Aledmys Diaz .171
• Jose Altuve .167
• Yordan Alvarez .158
• Kyle Tucker .127
• Niko Goodrum .105
• Jason Castro .083
• Martin Maldonado .065

Yikes.

But it is still early, and they do at least head into this series on the right foot. Yesterday, they had eight runs and 11 hits in an 8-7, 10-inning win over the Blue Jays, salvaging something out of the series after losing the first two games.

McCormick, Brantley, Bregman, and Gurriel each had two hits apiece, while Brantley and Pena each hit a two-run homer, with Pena’s blast walking it off in the bottom of the tenth.

His time is now. pic.twitter.com/ihxUUHlSnr

— Houston Astros (@astros) April 24, 2022

That does bode well for tonight, given the hitter-friendly park and the pitching matchup.

Dunning hasn’t been lit up in any game yet, but he also hasn’t sparkled either. He hasn’t gone more than five innings in any of his three starts, and he has allowed 14 hits, seven walks, and one hit batter in 12.2 innings, so the Astros should have opportunities to generate some offense.

Astros vs. Rangers Prediction and Best Bets

Prediction: Houston Astros to win

Best Bet: OVER 8 (-120 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

Runs have not been hard to come by at Globe Life Field so far this season. There have been nine or more combined runs in five of the Rangers’ six home games to date. That includes Dunning’s lone home start, a 10-5 win over the Angels on April 14. Look for the scoring to continue in tonight’s series opener.