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The Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros play Game 6 of the best-of-7 American League Championship Series Sunday. First pitch from Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET (FS1). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Rangers vs. Astros odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
ALCS: Astros lead 3-2
The Astros went to Arlington for the past 3 games, and Houston won them all. Perhaps the most amazing win was Game 5, as the Astros were down 4-2 heading to the top of the 9th inning. Diminutive 2B Jose Altuve swatted a 3-run, go-ahead homer off of RP Jose Leclerc, killing Rangers moneyline bettors and Under (8.5) bettors in one fell swoop.
The Rangers opened this series with 2 straight wins in Houston to seize home-field advantage, but apparently nobody wants that. The Astros won 3 in a row in Arlington, and the home team is 0-5 in this series. The underdog is also 5-for-5 straight up and on the run line. The Over has cashed in 4 straight in the series.
Rangers at Astros projected starters
RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. LHP Framber Valdez
Eovaldi made 25 starts in the regular season, going 12-5 with a 3.63 ERA. He had a 1.14 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 8.3 K/9 over 144 innings.
- Last start: Win, 6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H (2 HR), 1 BB, 9 K in 5-4 road win vs. Texas Rangers in Game 2 of the ALCS last Monday
- 2023 road splits: 6-2, 3.56 ERA (78 1/3 IP, 31 ER), 6 HR in 13 starts
- Making his 10th career postseason start and 15th overall appearance
Valdez was 12-11 with a 3.45 ERA across 31 regular-season starts. He had a 1.13 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 9.1 K/9 in 198 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 2 2/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 7 H, 1 BB, 6 K in 5-4 home loss vs. the Texas Rangers in Game 2 of the ALCS last Monday
- 2023 home splits: 4-8, 3.35 ERA (102 IP, 38 ER), 7 HR in 16 starts in the regular season
- Making his 15th career postseason start and 16th overall appearance
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Rangers at Astros odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:51 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Rangers +108 (bet $100 to win $108) | Astros -126 (bet $126 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-194) | Astros -1.5 (+162)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Rangers at Astros picks and predictions
Prediction
Astros 5, Rangers 3
Moneyline
What a novel idea, but let’s roll with the home side and back the ASTROS (-126) in Game 6, yeah?
The winning ways of the road team just cannot continue, and the Rangers (+108) just have to be emotionally gutted after having a chance to bury the defending champs, who did their best Lazarus imitation. Now, it’s Houston in the driver’s seat, and about to punch its ticket back to the World Series while Texas fans and bettors scratch their collective heads wondering what could’ve been.
Run line/Against the spread
Roll the dice on ASTROS -1.5 (+162), as the favorite grabs a cover on the run line for the 1st time in this series. The underdog has not only covered in all 5 games, but it has won outright in the first 5 games. The favorite will shine through in the closeout game.
Over/Under
The UNDER 8.5 (-105) is the lean, but ever so slightly.
We saw the Over hit in the past 4, including the excruciating result at most shops with Altuve’s tater in the 9th inning in Game 5 to flip the result. Under bettors, if it makes you feel better, you were on the right side then and deserved better.
With the intensity ratcheted to an all-time high in Game 6, we should see runs at more of a premium.
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