Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Prediction, Preview and Odds - 04/05/2024

Game Time: 8:05 pm ET, Friday, April 5, 2024

Venue:  Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX

Where to Watch:  Apple TV+

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -130, Rangers +110; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -130, Rangers +110; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -130, Rangers +110; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Houston Astros:  2-5 (4th place, AL West)

Texas Rangers:  4-2 (1st place, AL West)

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Houston Astros:  2-5 last 7

Texas Rangers:  4-2 last 6

The Astros are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 2-5 record overall and have a road record of 0-0. This is the series opener of a 4-game series with the Texas Rangers on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 3rd in the MLB with a .855 OPS. Cristian Javier was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Hunter Brown is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA this season. His team lost their only game this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 ER, 0 HR, and 2 BB with 5 Ks on 4 hits through 4 IP against the New York Yankees.

The Rangers are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 4-2 record overall and have a home record of 2-1. This is the 1st game of a 4-game series with the Houston Astros on Friday and they had Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 8th in the MLB with a .793 OPS. Nathan Eovaldi was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Cody Bradford is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA this season. His team won their only game this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 1 BB with 6 strikeouts on 3 hits through 5 innings played against the Chicago Cubs.

The current betting odds have the Rangers listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rangers have looked good in their games this season with their 4-2 record overall and they have won both of the series they have played in so far. They also looked good in their 1st home series this season with their 2-1 home record now. Meanwhile, the Astros haven't looked good in their games this season with their 2-5 record overall as they are off to a slower start. This is going to be their 1st road series of the year and they have already been struggling in their home games. They did win their last series against the Blue Jays, but they were swept by the Yankees in their 1st series of the season and their offense has been really hit or miss in these games. The Astros are also trying to figure things out with a new manager this season while the Rangers have Bochy going into his 2nd season with the team, winning the World Series in his 1st year there. Brown has been the better starting pitcher this season from each of their 1st starts, but Bradford still pitched well in his season debut and unlike Brown, Bradford was credited with the win in his start. The Rangers offense has been more consistent than the Astros to start the season and the defending World Series champions will bring a little extra for their same state rivals here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rangers to win this game.

Astros Rangers Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, April 5, 2024 (8:05 pm ET start time) is Rangers 5 Astros 2.

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Houston Astros: 167-106 (-8.6 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -110 or higher. 33-33 (-16.1 units) on the moneyline after scoring 8 runs or more. HUNTER BROWN is 6-3 OVER when the total is 9 to 9.5 and 5-1 OVER after giving up no earned runs last outing.

Texas Rangers: 72-86 (+10.8 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 34-23 (+12.6 units) on the moneyline after allowing 1 run or less. 29-19 OVER at home when the total is 9 to 9.5. CODY BRADFORD is 4-0 OVER in home games.

Houston Astros:  J. France (SP) Out indefinitely - Personal. B. Sousa (RP) Late April - Shoulder. S. Dubin (SP) Mid April - Forearm. K. Graveman (RP) out for season - Shoulder. P. Murfee (SP) Mid July - Elbow. O. Ortega (RP) Late July - Elbow. J. Urquidy (SP) Out indefinitely - Forearm. J. Verlander (SP) Late April - Shoulder. L. Garcia (SP) Mid July - Elbow. L. McCullers Jr. (SP) Early July - Forearm.

Texas Rangers:  J. Jung (3B) Early June - Wrist. M. Lorenzen (RP) Mid April - Neck. T. Mahle (SP) Mid July - Elbow. J. Hernandez (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. N. Lowe (1B) Late April - Oblique. M. Scherzer (SP) Mid June - Back. C. Coleman (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. J. deGrom (SP) Mid July - Elbow.

“It was a matter of time. Anytime he can put some good swings like that and and hit some balls hard and it’s a good sign and that's exactly what we needed.” - Joe Espada after his team’s win against the Blue Jays in their game on Wednesday.

“Tough team, tough place to win. Pitching. I mean, what a great job they did. Seven really solid innings." - Bruce Bochy after his team’s win against the Rays in their game on Wednesday.

Jose Altuve (R) 2B

Yordan Alvarez (L) DH

Kyle Tucker (L) RF

Alex Bregman (R) 3B

Yainer Diaz (R) C

Jon Singleton (L) 1B

Chas McCormick (R) LF

Jeremy Peña (R) SS

Mauricio Dubón (R) CF

Marcus Semien (R) 2B

Corey Seager (L) DH

Wyatt Langford (R) LF

Adolis García (R) RF

Jared Walsh (L) 1B

Josh Smith (L) SS

Ezequiel Duran (R) 3B

Jonah Heim (S) C

Leody Taveras (S) CF

Batting Average:  Yainer Diaz (.462)

Hits:  Yainer Diaz (12)

Home Runs:  Jose Altuve (3)

RBI:  Jeremy Peña (6)

Stolen Bases:  Alex Bregman (1)

Wins:  Cristian Javier (1)

Saves:  N/A

ERA:  Cristian Javier (0.00)

Batting Average:  Travis Jankowski (.500)

Hits:  Corey Seager (8)

Home Runs:  Adolis García (3)

RBI:  Adolis García (6)

Stolen Bases:  Adolis García (1)

Wins:  Nathan Eovaldi (1)

Saves:  N/A

ERA:  David Robertson (0.00)

Managers:

Houston Astros: Joe Espada (1st season)

Texas Rangers: Bruce Bochy (2nd season)