Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 10/15/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros

Date: Sunday, October 15, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: FOX

Odds/Point Spread: Texas (+110) Houston (-130)

Minute Maid Park is the location where the Houston Astros (90-72) will meet the Texas Rangers (90-72) on Sunday in Game 1 of the ALCS. The moneyline on this matchup has the Rangers at +110 while the Astros are priced at -130. The over/under comes in at 9. The pitchers who are expected to start are Nathan Eovaldi and Justin Verlander.

The Rangers have tallied 326 doubles as a squad and have hit 233 baseballs out of the park. Texas owns a slugging percentage of .452 and have struck out 1,416 times, while taking a walk on 599 occasions. As a squad, the Texas Rangers are notching 5.4 runs per contest, which ranks them 3rd in baseball. They have earned 845 RBI's as well as 1,470 base knocks this season, while their average at the plate is at .263. They have tallied 881 runs and hold an OBP of .337.

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Their K/BB ratio is 2.75 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.27. Rangers pitchers have relinquished 198 long balls and also 716 runs in total (14th in baseball). Texas has relinquished 1,330 hits (8.3 per 9 innings) as well as 683 earned runs. The Rangers have a team ERA of 4.28 over the course of the season (18th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,351 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 491 opposing players and their FIP is 4.32 as a team so far this season.

The Rangers relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 47.6% and stepped onto the hill in 146 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 273 base runners for the season with 31.5% of them ended up scoring. Rangers pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 163 times as well as having 160 appearances in high leverage situations. The Rangers have dispatched 467 relievers to the mound on the campaign. The bullpen have a total of 80 holds on the year (20th in MLB). They have accumulated 30 saves so far this season and have blown 33 of 63 save chances.

The Rangers have turned 70.3% of balls in play into outs out of 12,927 innings, which ranks them 4th in pro baseball. The Texas Rangers have amassed 4,309 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,423 assists and 57 errors. Their fielding rate is at .990 which has them ranked 2nd in professional baseball, and they have turned 143 double plays.

Eovaldi (79-73 career win-loss mark) sits with a FIP of 3.83 and he has faced 5,932 batters in the major leagues. He has given up 1,424 base hits (9.1 hits per 9 innings) with 403 free passes. His earned run average is 4.10 (639 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.303. Eovaldi has taken the ball for 1,401 innings and has accounted for 1,192 K's so far in his MLB career.

The Astros have a team slugging % of .437 and they have an average of 5.10 runs per contest (5th in the league). They have hit 280 doubles, while getting a free base 550 times and putting up 827 runs. Houston has accounted for 222 home runs for the season as well as 799 runs batted in. They have been called out on strikes on 1,241 instances (28th in baseball) and have earned a total of 1,441 base hits. The Houston Astros have earned a team on-base percentage of .331 and a team batting average of .259 over the course of the season.

The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 698 runs so far this season while holding an ERA of 3.94 (632 earned runs relinquished). They have allowed 201 dingers and they allow 4.35 runs per 9 innings (9th in the league). The Astros have a team WHIP of 1.279 in addition to having a FIP of 4.31 as a squad this year. Their K/BB ratio is 9.10 (1,460 strikeouts vs 537 free passes). They are currently ranked 8th in MLB as a staff in total hits allowed with 1,312.

Houston relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.1% out of 161 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 151 times in high leverage situations in addition to 97 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 148 save situations, the Astros have 86 holds and also 19 blown saves. They are currently ranked 6th in MLB holding a save rate of 68.9%, and they have sent 513 relievers to the mound this year. Houston has called on relievers to step onto the mound in 61 save chances and they have converted 42 saves.

The Houston Astros have turned 144 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (14th in the majors). The Astros have 1,346 assists, 81 errors and have earned 4,336 putouts so far this season. In 13,008 innings played, the Astros hold a defensive efficiency of 69.7% (10th in MLB).

During his career, Verlander has allowed 2,793 hits while earning 3,342 K's in 3,325 frames. Verlander (257-141 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 3.24 ERA while allowing 7.6 hits per nine innings. He has given up 1,197 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.118 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.4. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.61 and he has gone up against 13,549 hitters during his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Texas (+110)

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