Texas Rangers at Houston Astros 4/15/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Minute Maid Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Bartolo Colon vs. Justin Verlander

The Texas Rangers visit Minute Maid Park on Sunday, April 15, 2018 to play the Houston Astros. The probable starters are Bartolo Colon for the Rangers and Justin Verlander for the Astros.

The opening line for this matchup has Texas at +275 and Houston at -310. The Rangers have a 6-8-1 over/under record and a 5-10-0 run line mark. The Astros are 7-7-0 against the run line and have a 4-10-0 over/under record.

Valuable Texas Rangers Betting Trends

The Texas Rangers are 6-8-1 against the over/under

The Texas Rangers are 5-10-0 against the run line

Important Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 4-10-0 against the over/under

The Houston Astros are 7-7-0 against the run line

Key Texas Rangers Injuries

04/13/18 SS Elvis Andrus Elbow 10-day DL (04/12)
04/11/18 P Doug Fister Hip 10-day DL (04/10)
04/10/18 2B Rougned Odor Hamstring 10-day DL (04/10)
04/02/18 P Ricardo Rodriguez Elbow 60-day DL (04/02)
04/01/18 CF Delino DeShields Hand 10-day DL (03/31)
03/30/18 P Joe Palumbo Elbow 60-day DL (02/23)
03/26/18 P Clayton Blackburn Elbow 60-day DL (03/19)
03/26/18 P Ronald Herrera Shoulder 60-day DL (03/21)
03/26/18 P Tim Lincecum Blister 10-day DL (03/26)

Key Houston Astros Injuries

04/11/18 P Tony Sipp Oblique 10-day DL (04/08)
03/30/18 P Brady Rodgers Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P James Hoyt Oblique 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jandel Gustave Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Rangers have a 4-11 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Bartolo Colon has a 0-0 record with an earned run average of 1.64 and a WHIP of 1.00 this season. He has 10 strikeouts over his 11 innings pitched and he's given up 10 hits. He's allowed 8.2 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.66. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.97 and they have given up 56 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .247 against the bullpen and they've struck out 53 hitters and walked 24 batters. As a team, Texas allows 10 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.3 batters per nine innings. They are 25th in the league in team earned run average at 5.08. The Rangers pitchers collectively have given up 138 base hits and 70 earned runs. They have allowed 14 home runs this season, ranking them 12th in the league. Texas as a pitching staff has walked 53 batters and struck out 115. They have walked 3.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.3 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.54 and their FIP as a unit is 4.11.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Texas is hitting .227, good for 23rd in the league. The Rangers hold a .349 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .303, which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 26th in MLB with 8.0 hits per game. Nomar Mazara is hitting .302 with an on-base percentage of .351. He has 16 hits this season in 53 at bats with 2 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .377 and an OPS+ of 102. Elvis Andrus is hitting .327 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .426. He has totaled 17 hits and he has driven in 5 men in 52 at bats. His OPS+ is 155 while his slugging percentage is at .500. The Rangers have 112 hits, including 21 doubles and 13 home runs. Texas has walked 48 times so far this season and they have struck out 130 times as a unit. They have left 108 men on base and have a team OPS of .652. They score 3.29 runs per contest and have scored a total of 46 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Houston has a 10-4 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 1.45, Justin Verlander has a 2-0 record and a 0.96 WHIP. He has 23 strikeouts over the 18.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 14 hits. He's allowing 6.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.76. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.05 and they have given up 36 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .217 against the Astros bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 50 batters and walked 12 opposing hitters. As a team, Houston allows 7.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 11 batters per nine innings. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.72. The Astros pitchers as a team have surrendered 97 base knocks and 35 earned runs this season. They have given up 9 home runs this year, which ranks 26th in Major League Baseball. Houston as a staff has walked 43 hitters and struck out 141 batters. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 11 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.21 while their FIP as a staff is 2.82.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .253, good for 7th in the league. The Astros hold a .392 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .338, which is good for 6th in baseball. They rank 13th in MLB with 9.0 hits per contest. Jose Altuve comes into this matchup batting .352 with an OBP of .400. He has 19 hits this year along with 4 RBI in 54 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .389 with an OPS+ of 135. Carlos Correa is hitting .289 this season and he has an OBP of .314. He has collected 13 hits in 45 at bats while driving in 10 runs. He has an OPS+ of 140 and a slugging percentage of .511. The Astros as a unit have 117 base hits, including 21 doubles and 13 homers. Houston has walked 57 times this year and they have struck out on 131 occasions. They have had 107 men left on base and have an OPS of .730. They have scored 4.69 runs per game and totaled 61 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Rangers/Astros MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Rangers +275

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