Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 4/14/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros

Date: Sunday, April 14, 2024

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Odds/Point Spread: Texas (+122) Houston (-144)

The Houston Astros (4-10) will go up against the Texas Rangers (7-6) at Minute Maid Park on Sunday. The moneyline on this matchup has the Rangers at +122 and the Astros open at -144. The total has been set at 9.5. The pitchers taking the mound are Nathan Eovaldi and Cristian Javier.

Texas has a slugging percentage of .412 and have been called out on strikes 92 times, while taking a walk on 54 occasions. They have earned 65 RBI's and 118 hits over the course of the season, while their team batting average is sitting at .266. The Rangers have accumulated 23 two-baggers as a team and have hit 12 balls out of the stadium. They have racked up 67 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .349. As a unit, the Texas Rangers are putting up 5.2 runs/g, which has them sitting at 12th in MLB.

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The Rangers are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.08 so far this year (6th in the league), and the staff has rung up 118 hitters. Rangers pitchers have conceded 14 home runs and 47 runs (8th in baseball). They have walked 41 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.02 as a team this season. Texas has conceded 87 base knocks (6.7 per 9 innings) and 40 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.88 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.09.

The Rangers have sent 40 relievers to the mound on the year. The relief pitchers have inherited 21 runners for the year and 38.1% of those runners ended up scoring. They have recorded 1 save for the season and have blown 2 of 3 chances to save the game. The Rangers bullpen have accumulated a save rate of 33.3% and has entered the game in 12 save situations. The relievers have racked up 9 holds over the course of the season (9th in the league). Rangers pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 13 times and also have had 16 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Texas Rangers have accounted for 351 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 102 assists and 5 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .989 which ranks 9th in pro baseball, and they have turned 10 double plays. The Rangers have converted 74.3% of balls hit into play into outs in their 1,053 innings, which has them ranked 2nd in pro baseball.

Eovaldi (80-73 career mark) has earned a FIP of 3.82 and he has gone up against 6,000 batters during his time in the majors. He has conceded 1,435 base hits (9.1 hits per 9 innings) and has had 407 free passes. His earned run average is 4.07 (642 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.297. Eovaldi has pitched in 1,420 frames and is sitting with 1,211 K's during his career.

The Astros have a team slugging percentage of .421 and they score 3.93 runs per outing (20th in MLB). They have recorded 25 doubles, while walking 44 times and putting up 55 runs. Houston has accumulated 17 home runs on the campaign to go along with 52 runs batted in. They have struck out on 96 occasions (22nd in the league) and have accounted for 131 base hits. The Houston Astros have compiled an OBP of .330 in addition to a batting average of .266 over the course of the season.

The Astros are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.516 with a FIP of 4.43 as a team so far this season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 7.40 (100 strikeouts against 63 free passes). They come in at 29th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 122. They have given up 11 dingers and they surrender 5.46 runs per 9 innings (26th in baseball). The Houston pitching staff have allowed 74 runs this year while holding a team ERA of 5.09 (69 earned runs surrendered).

Sitting with 9 save situations, the Astros have accumulated 4 holds and 4 blown saves. Houston has called on relievers to step onto the mound in 5 save chances and they have tallied 1 save. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 12 times in high leverage situations and on 12 occasions with runners on. Houston relief pitchers have an inherited score rate of 15.0% out of their 20 inherited base runners. They sit at 29th in baseball holding a save rate of 20.0%, and they have dispatched 50 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the season.

The Houston Astros have gotten 14 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .988 (10th in pro baseball). The Astros have accrued 126 assists, 6 errors and have a total of 366 putouts for the season. In 1,098 innings played, the Astros have earned a efficiency on defense of 68.4% (21st in the majors).

Javier (31-17 win-loss mark in his career) holds a 3.49 earned run average while allowing 6.4 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.84 and he has faced 1,978 opposing hitters so far in his MLB career. He has given up a total of 187 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.117 and a FIP of 4.1. So far in his pro baseball career, Javier has given up 345 base hits while he has totaled 550 K's in 482 innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Texas (+122)

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