Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 4/16/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros

Date: Sunday, April 16, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Texas (+215) Houston (-255)

The Texas Rangers (8-5) are traveling to Minute Maid Park on Sunday where they will take on the Houston Astros (6-8). The odds on this game have the Rangers at +215 while the Astros are priced at -255. The over/under has been set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Andrew Heaney and Framber Valdez.

Texas is slugging .416 and have been called out on strikes 110 times, while drawing a walk on 41 occasions. They have accumulated 70 RBI's and 108 base knocks on the year, while their batting average sits at .247. The Rangers have accounted for 25 doubles as a team and have hit 15 balls out of the stadium. They have accumulated 73 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .315. As a team, the Texas Rangers are earning 5.6 runs per game, which puts them at 5th in baseball.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 3.45 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.24. Rangers pitchers have conceded 12 home runs and 55 runs (7th in baseball). Texas has given up 106 base hits (8.2 per 9 innings) in addition to 49 earned runs. The Rangers are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.80 on the year (8th in MLB), and they have rung up 131 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 38 hitters and their FIP is 3.47 as a team over the course of the season.

The Rangers relief pitchers have accumulated a save rate of 66.7% and has entered the game in 12 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 22 runners this season with 31.8% of those runners ended up scoring. Rangers pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 14 times and also have had 7 appearances in high leverage situations. The Rangers have dispatched 37 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. The relievers have accumulated 8 holds so far this year (16th in the league). They have earned 2 saves so far this season and have blown 1 of their 3 save opportunities.

The Rangers have transformed 66.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 1,044 innings, ranking them 26th in baseball. The Texas Rangers are sitting with 348 putouts on the campaign, as well as 100 assists and 8 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .982 which is 23rd in professional baseball, and they have turned 13 double plays.

Heaney has taken the ball for 714 frames and has 772 punch outs so far in his MLB career. Heaney (37-43 career win-loss record) holds a FIP of 4.39 and he has faced 3,032 hitters in the major leagues. His ERA is 4.60 (365 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.250. He has given up 691 hits (8.7 hits per nine innings) and has 202 walks.

Houston has 16 long balls over the course of the season to go along with 66 runs batted in. They have 21 two-baggers, while getting a free base 54 times and notching 68 runs. The Houston Astros have recorded an OBP of .333 in addition to a batting average of .251 on the year. The Astros hold a team SLG% of .393 and they average 4.86 runs per contest (11th in the league). They have been called out on strikes on 121 occasions (16th in the league) and have totaled 122 hits.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.339 with a FIP of 4.05 as a unit on the season. They sit at 23rd in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 125. The Houston pitching staff have allowed 59 runs so far this season while having a team ERA of 3.92 (55 earned runs conceded). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 9.30 (131 strikeouts against 44 bases on balls). They have allowed 15 homers and they allow 4.21 runs per 9 innings (6th in the league).

Houston relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 30.0% of 10 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 13 times in high leverage situations and also on 7 occasions with runners on. With 7 save situations, the Astros have earned 2 holds and also 3 blown saves. They sit at 27th in baseball holding a save rate of 40.0%, and they have sent 47 relief pitchers onto the field on the year. Houston has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 5 save chances and they have tallied 2 saves.

In 1,140 innings played, the Astros have a defensive efficiency of 67.8% (22nd in the majors). The Houston Astros have gotten 8 double plays and have a fielding rate of .994 (3rd in pro baseball). The Astros have recorded 126 assists, 3 errors and are sitting with 380 putouts over the course of the season.

So far in his MLB career, Valdez has conceded 452 base hits while tallying 515 punch outs in 533 innings. Valdez (42-24 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 3.32 ERA and has surrendered 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has conceded 197 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.251 and a FIP of 3.7. His K/BB ratio is 2.40 and he has faced 2,247 opposing batters in his MLB career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Texas (+215)

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