Betsided

Astros vs. Rangers Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, April 26 (Astros Snap Out of Slump)

By Joe Summers

The Rangers are on a roll as they host the Astros today
The Rangers are on a roll as they host the Astros today / Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

After a 6-2 loss last night gave them their fifth in six games, the struggling 7-9 Houston Astros hope to snap out of their funk as they take on the 6-10 Texas Rangers tonight at 8:05 p.m. EST.

The Rangers have now won four of their last five and will send Taylor Hearn to the mound today. Hearn has struggled in his few starts this season, giving up nine earned runs in just over 10 innings of work in three outings.

Jake Odorizzi gets the call for Houston after getting shelled for six runs and getting only two outs in his last start against the Angels.

Who has the edge in a battle of pitchers trying to find their footing in this young 2022 season? Let's check out the odds from WynnBET as we find some value in this Astros vs Rangers matchup:

Astros vs Rangers Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

  • Astros -1.5 (+135)
  • Rangers +1.5 (-165)

Moneyline:

  • Astros: -110
  • Rangers: +100

Total:

  • 9.0 (Over -120/Under +100)

Astros vs Rangers Prediction and Pick

After a five-game losing streak, the Rangers' pitching staff is on quite a roll. They've surrendered just five runs in their last four games and haven't given up more than two in any of them. Houston's lineup is itching for a breakout though, after scoring more than three runs just once in their previous six.

They may find that breakout against Taylor Hearn, who has been dreadful by both basic and advanced metrics. He walked four batters in three innings on his way to giving up five runs in his last start and has gotten worse each time he's approached the mound.

Unfortunately for Houston, so has Jake Odorizzi. But his 9.00 ERA is drastically inflated compared to his 4.62 FIP, which measures what a pitcher's ERA should be based on average fielders. We can expect some regression, and only three of the six runs he surrendered to the Angels his last time out were earned.

Texas' bullpen has been a bottom-five group in baseball and with Hearn not showing reason for optimism, I think today is the day that the Houston bats finally get going. Give me the Astros to snap out of their slump with a win over the Rangers.

Pick: Astros (-110)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.

Home/MLB Picks