Friday, September 2, 2016

Globe Life Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Doug Fister vs. A.J. Griffin

The Houston Astros visit Globe Life Park on Friday to play the Texas Rangers. The probable starters are Doug Fister for the Astros and A.J. Griffin for the Rangers. The opening line for this matchup has Houston at +120 and Texas at -130. The over/under was set at 9.5. The Astros have a 59-66-8 over/under record and a 60-73-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 45% of the time. The Rangers are 72-62-0 against the run line and have a 65-61-8 over/under record. They cover the spread 54% of the time.

The Astros head into this matchup with a 71-62 record, including 32-33 on the road. Starting pitcher Doug Fister has a 12-9 record with an earned run average of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.29. He has 102 strikeouts over his 157.1 innings pitched and he has given up 152 hits so far this season. He has allowed 8.7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.38. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.39 and they have given up 381 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .230 against the bullpen while being struck out 486 times and walking 101 times this season. As a team, Houston has allowed 8.93 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.61 batters per nine. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 3.91. The Astros pitchers have collectively given up 1,198 base hits and 524 earned runs. They have allowed 153 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Houston as a pitching staff has walked 343 batters and struck out 1,155. They walk 2.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.28 and their FIP as a unit is 3.80.

As a team, Houston is batting .246, good for 25th in the league while putting together a .257 average away from home. The Astros hold a .419 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .321 which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 22nd in baseball with 8.44 hits per game. George Springer comes into this game hitting .258 and his on-base percentage is at .358. He has 136 hits this season along with 99 runs scored and 73 runs batted in. He's struck out 139 times and has walked 73 times. Jose Altuve is hitting .351 and he has an on-base percentage of .411. He has totaled 184 hits so far while scoring 94 runs and he's driven in 89. He has walked 51 times and has struck out 61 times. The Astros have 1,123 hits, including 245 doubles and 165 home runs. They've stolen 88 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 36 times. Houston has walked 470 times this season and they've struck out 1,209 times as a unit. They've left 910 men on base and have a team OPS of .740. They score 4.56 runs per contest and have scored a total of 606 runs so far this year.

Texas comes into this matchup with a 45-21 home record and a 80-54 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.39, A.J. Griffin has a 6-3 record and a 1.30 WHIP. He has 83 strikeouts over the 96.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 92 hits. He has allowed 8.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.2. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 4.71 and they have given up 434 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .265 against the Rangers bullpen while being struck out 337 times and walking 150 times this season. As a team, Texas has allowed 9.02 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.01 batters per nine. They are 20th in the league in team earned run average at 4.29. The Rangers pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,195 base knocks and 568 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 162 home runs this year and they give up 1.2 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Texas as a staff has walked 432 hitters and struck out 929. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.36 while their FIP as a staff is 4.56.

As a team, they are batting .263, good for 8th in the league while putting together a .278 average at home. The Rangers hold a .432 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .321 which is good for 16th in baseball. They rank 9th in baseball with 8.93 hits per contest. Ian Desmond comes into this matchup batting .290 and he has an OBP of .338. He has 153 hits this year along with 92 runs scored and 78 RBI. He's struck out 137 times and has walked on 36 occasions. Adrian Beltre is hitting .291 and he has an OBP of .349. He has collected 141 hits so far while he's scored 73 runs and drove in 89. He has earned a walk 40 times and has punched out 58 times. The Rangers as a unit have 1,196 base hits, including 202 doubles and 177 homers. They have 77 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 29 times. Texas as a team has walked 355 times this year and they have struck out 1,005 times. They've had 845 men left on base and have an OPS of .753. They score 4.74 runs per game and have totaled 635 runs so far this season.

Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 59-66-8 against the over/under so far this season

The Houston Astros are 60-73-0 against the run line so far this season

Texas Rangers Betting Trends

The Texas Rangers are 65-61-8 against the over/under so far this season

The Texas Rangers are 72-62-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Houston Astros

09/01/16 1B Marwin Gonzalez Hamstring left last game, "?" Friday vs. Texas Rangers
08/13/16 LF Preston Tucker Shoulder 15-day DL (8/11)
08/03/16 P Lance McCullers Elbow 15-day DL (8/2)
07/29/16 3B Luis Valbuena Hamstring 15-day DL (7/27)

Texas Rangers

08/27/16 P Jeremy Jeffress Suspension placed on restricted list
08/24/16 P Shawn Tolleson Back 60-day DL (8/23)
08/18/16 P Lucas Harrell Groin 15-day DL (8/17)
08/15/16 RF Shin-Soo Choo Forearm 15-day DL (8/15)
07/20/16 DH Prince Fielder Neck 15-day DL (7/19), out for season
06/26/16 P Colby Lewis Back 60-day DL (6/22)
05/28/16 P Tanner Scheppers Knee 60-day DL (3/25)

Tony's Pick: Take the Astros

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