Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction, 9/16/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers

Date: Thursday, September 16, 2021

Location: Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX

TV: Bally Sports Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-333) Texas (+240)

Glenn Otto and the Texas Rangers (54-90, 5th in AL West) play the Houston Astros (84-60, 1st in AL West) at Globe Life Field on Thursday. The odds on this matchup have the Astros priced at -333 and the Rangers are at +240. The total has been set at 8.5. The starting pitchers will be Framber Valdez and Glenn Otto.

As a squad, the Houston Astros are compiling 5.3 runs per game, which is 2nd in MLB. They have accumulated 762 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .340. The Astros have accumulated 273 doubles as a squad and have knocked 186 balls out of the stadium. They have 734 RBI's in addition to 1,333 hits this season, while their team batting average is sitting at .269. Houston owns a slugging percentage of .441 and have been called out on strikes 1,087 times, while taking a walk on 507 occasions.

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The Astros have a team ERA of 3.72 for the season (4th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,306 hitters. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.72 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.22. Astros pitchers have relinquished 169 home runs and 577 total runs (5th in baseball). They have walked 481 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 4.11 as a team on the season.

Astros bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with players on base 120 times in addition to having 140 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have tallied 63 holds on the campaign (22nd in baseball). The Astros relief pitchers have a save rate of 59.3% and stepped onto the hill in 118 save situations. They have accumulated 32 saves for the year and have not converted 22 of 54 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 177 base runners so far this season and 36.2% of them ended up scoring. The Astros have dispatched 450 relievers to the mound for the year.

The Astros have turned 71.4% of balls in play into outs in their 11,532 innings, which has them sitting 4th in the majors. The Houston Astros have accounted for 3,844 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 1,252 assists and 60 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .988 which has them sitting 1st in baseball, and have accumulated 1,037 double plays.

Valdez (23-16 career mark) has earned a FIP of 4.02 while he has gone up against 1,266 batters in the majors. He has conceded 256 hits (7.8 hits per 9 innings) and has had 134 walks. His ERA is 3.82 (125 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.325. Valdez has taken the ball for 294 frames and has 287 strikeouts in his pro baseball career.

The Rangers have a team SLG% of .378 and they tally 3.94 runs per contest (28th in baseball). They have hit 202 two-baggers, while getting a free base 387 times and putting up 567 runs. Texas has hit 155 long balls on the year as well as 541 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 1,236 occasions (20th in the league) and have notched a total of 1,113 base hits. The Texas Rangers are sitting with a team OBP of .295 as well as a batting average of .231 this year.

The Rangers are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.337 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.76 as a pitching staff for the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.46 (1,098 strikeouts against 446 walks). They rank 27th in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,248. They have conceded 210 home runs and they allow 5.08 runs per 9 innings (22nd in MLB). The Texas pitching staff have yielded 715 runs for the season while having an ERA of 4.70 (662 earned runs surrendered).

With 105 save situations, the Rangers have earned 58 holds in addition to 19 blown saves. Texas has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 45 save opportunities and they have walked away with 26 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 122 times in high leverage situations and also on 128 occasions with base runners. Texas relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 34.0% out of 197 inherited runners. They sit at 22nd in baseball with a save rate of 57.8%, and they have sent 445 relief pitchers onto the field on the season.

The Texas Rangers have turned 128 double plays and have a fielding rate of .985 (14th in the majors). The Rangers have recorded 1,302 assists, 77 errors and have accumulated 3,802 putouts this season. Out of their 11,406 innings on the diamond, the Rangers have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (11th in professional baseball).

Otto (0-1 record in his career) has earned a 6.92 earned run average while conceding 9.7 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.00 and he has gone up against 56 batters so far in his MLB career. He has allowed 10 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.231 and a FIP of 1.6. In his career, Otto has allowed 14 base knocks while he has tallied 16 punch outs in 13 frames.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (-333)

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