Astros vs. Rangers Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers for Wednesday, Aug. 7 (Back Houston on Road)

Who will win the third and final game of this series between division rivals?

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The American League West division has not been great in 2024, as the Houston Astros are just three games over .500 but are just half a game back of the top spot in the division entering Wednesday’s matinee matchup with the Texas Rangers.

Texas is just 3-7 straight up in its last 10 games, and the Rangers (five games back of Seattle) are in danger of missing the playoffs just one season after winning the World Series. 

Houston is favored on Wednesday with veteran lefty Yusei Kikuchi making his second start for the franchise since the trade deadline. 

Who wins the rubber match between these two in-state rivals?

Let’s break down the odds, probable pitchers and the best bet to place for Wednesday’s contest. 

Astros vs. Rangers Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Run Line

• Astros -1.5 (+124)
• Rangers +1.5 (-148)

Moneyline

• Astros: -130
• Rangers: +110

Total

• 9 (Over -108/Under -112)

Astros vs. Rangers Probable Pitchers

• Houston: Yusei Kikuchi (4-9, 4.67 ERA)
• Texas: Jose Urena (3-6, 3.70 ERA)

Astros vs. Rangers How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Aug. 7
• Time: 2:35 p.m. EST
• Venue: Globe Life Field
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Southwest, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
• Astros record: 58-55
• Rangers record: 54-60

Astros vs. Rangers Key Players to Watch

Houston Astros

Yusei Kikuchi: This is the second start that Kikuchi will make for Houston after being acquired at the deadline, and he was lights out in his first outing, striking out 11 batters across 5.2 innings of work. He has an xERA of 3.88 this season – lower than his actual mark – a sign that he could be due for some positive regression over the final weeks of the season. 

Texas Rangers

Corey Seager: The Rangers shortstop enters this game having homered in three consecutive contests, boosting his season slash line to .277/.357/.501 with 24 homers and 57 runs batted in. He’s 2-for-9 with a pair of walks in his career against Kikuchi. 

Astros vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

There are several reasons to fade the Rangers in this game, starting with their struggles on the mound. 

Jose Urena (3.70 ERA) will get the start, but he’s mainly worked out of the bullpen in 2024. He started his last game and was rocked, allowing eight hits and seven runs across 4.0 innings of work. 

With Urena on the bump, the Rangers likely will need to rely on their bullpen since he hasn’t been fully stretched out, throwing less than 70 pitches in every outing since early June. That’s a major problem since the Rangers have the fourth-worst bullpen ERA (5.00) in baseball this season. 

Unfortunately, that’s not the only thing working against the Rangers in this one. 

Kikuchi has been better than his ERA suggests, posting a 3.88 expected ERA in 2024, and he shined in his Houston debut, allowing just three hits across 5.2 innings of work. Texas is just 16th in MLB in OPS against lefties, and it has just six total runs so far in this series. 

I’ll trust Houston’s superior pitching staff to win the series this afternoon. 

Pick: Astros Moneyline (-130)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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