Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction, 5/21/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers

Date: Friday, May 21, 2021

Location: Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX

TV: Bally Sports Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-117) Texas (+107)

Kyle Gibson and the Texas Rangers (19-26, 5th in AL West) play the Houston Astros (25-18, 2nd in AL West) at Globe Life Field on Friday. The Rangers open this matchup at +107 while the Astros are priced at -117. The over/under opens at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers are Lance McCullers Jr and Kyle Gibson.

As a team, the Houston Astros are putting up 5.3 runs per game, which is 2nd in baseball. They have racked up 221 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .333. The Astros have accrued 81 doubles as a unit and have smacked 49 balls out of the stadium. They have compiled 210 runs batted in and 385 hits this season, while their team batting average is sitting at .268. Houston is slugging .434 and have struck out 295 times, while being walked on 132 occasions.

The Astros have an ERA of 3.82 so far this season (12th in baseball), and their staff has struck out 374 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 133 opposing hitters and their FIP sits at 4.18 as a team over the course of the season. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.81 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.18. Astros pitchers have given up 52 long balls and also 166 total runs (11th in MLB).

Astros bullpen pitchers have come into the game with players on base 36 times as well as having 42 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have racked up 20 holds this year (16th in baseball). The Astros relief pitchers have accumulated a save percentage of 56.3% and has entered the game in 37 save situations. They have 9 saves on the year and have blown 7 of 16 chances to save the game. The relievers have inherited 61 runners so far this season and 41.0% of those runners crossed the plate. The Astros have dispatched 128 relievers to the mound on the year.

The Houston Astros have earned a total of 1,118 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 349 assists and 14 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .991 which has them ranked 2nd in pro baseball, and have accumulated 311 double plays. The Astros have turned 72.5% of baseballs in play into outs in their 3,354 innings, which has them sitting 3rd in professional baseball.

McCullers has taken the hill for 555 innings and has earned 617 strikeouts thus far in his career. McCullers (35-26 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 3.32 while he has faced 2,326 hitters in the majors. His earned run average is 3.61 (223 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.246. He has allowed 472 base knocks (7.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 220 free passes.

The Rangers have a SLG% of .395 and they are recording 4.18 runs per game (19th in MLB). They have recorded 52 two-baggers, while taking a walk 132 times as well as earning 184 runs. Texas has 54 home runs so far this year as well as 176 RBIs. They have struck out on 428 occasions (3rd in the league) and have tallied 353 base hits. The Texas Rangers have recorded an on-base percentage of .310 in addition to a batting average of .241 on the year.

The Rangers have a team WHIP of 1.352 and have a FIP of 4.24 as a squad on the campaign. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 2.70 (365 strikeouts against 135 free passes). They have a ranking of 30th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 391. They have conceded 55 dingers and they allow 4.72 runs per 9 innings (20th in the league). The Texas pitching staff have yielded 204 runs on the season while having a team ERA of 4.44 (192 earned runs relinquished).

Texas has had relievers step onto the hill in 16 save chances and they have tallied 12 saves. They rank 6th in MLB with a save rate of 75.0%, and they have dispatched 128 bullpen pitchers to the hill for the year. Their relief pitchers have come in 38 times in high leverage situations and on 35 occasions with base runners. Texas bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 24.6% out of their 57 inherited runners. With 28 save situations, the Rangers have 11 holds and also 4 blown saves.

In their 3,504 innings on the field, the Rangers have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 68.0% (26th in baseball). The Texas Rangers have turned 38 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .983 (16th in MLB). The Rangers have recorded 412 assists, 27 errors and have amassed 1,168 putouts during this campaign.

So far in his MLB career, Gibson has surrendered 1,253 base hits and he has 947 strikeouts in 1,208 innings. Gibson (72-74 career win-loss record) has a 4.47 ERA while giving up 9.3 hits per 9 innings. He has conceded 600 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.400 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.3. His K/BB ratio is 2.16 and he has gone up against 5,209 batters so far in his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Texas (+107)

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