Texas Rangers at Houston Astros 5/11/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Friday, May 11, 2018

Minute Maid Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Cole Hamels vs. Justin Verlander

The Texas Rangers visit Minute Maid Park on Friday, May 11, 2018 to play the Houston Astros. The probable starters are Cole Hamels for the Rangers and Justin Verlander for the Astros.

The opening line for this matchup has Texas at +227 and Houston at -248. The Rangers have a 21-15-3 over/under record and a 16-23-0 run line mark. The Astros are 20-19-0 against the run line and have a 14-23-2 over/under record.

Valuable Texas Rangers Betting Trends

The Texas Rangers are 21-15-3 against the over/under

The Texas Rangers are 16-23-0 against the run line

Important Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 14-23-2 against the over/under

The Houston Astros are 20-19-0 against the run line

Key Texas Rangers Injuries

05/10/18 2B Rougned Odor Hamstring 10-day DL (04/10); expected to be activated Friday vs Houston Astros
05/09/18 C Robinson Chirinos Wrist is "?" Friday vs Houston Astros
05/08/18 LF Drew Robinson Hip 10-day DL (05/08)
05/02/18 P Chris Martin Forearm 10-day DL (05/01)
04/30/18 P Martin Perez Elbow 10-day DL (04/30)
04/22/18 CF Carlos Tocci Hip 10-day DL (04/22)
04/16/18 P Tim Lincecum Blister 60-day DL (03/26)
04/13/18 SS Elvis Andrus Elbow 60-day DL (04/12)
04/02/18 P Ricardo Rodriguez Elbow 60-day DL (04/02)
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)

Key Houston Astros Injuries

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 15-24 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels has a 1-4 record with an earned run average of 3.94 and a WHIP of 1.36 this season. He has 52 strikeouts over his 45.2 innings pitched and he's given up 44 hits. He's allowed 8.7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.96. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.39 and they have given up 139 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .256 against the bullpen and they've struck out 129 hitters and walked 53 batters. As a team, Texas allows 9.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings. They are 25th in the league in team earned run average at 4.93. The Rangers pitchers collectively have given up 382 base hits and 191 earned runs. They have allowed 53 home runs this season, ranking them 4th in the league. Texas as a pitching staff has walked 123 batters and struck out 297. They have walked 3.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.45 and their FIP as a unit is 4.74.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Texas is hitting .234, good for 21st in the league. The Rangers hold a .400 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .305, which is good for 26th in baseball. They rank 21st in MLB with 7.9 hits per game. Adrian Beltre is hitting .333 with an on-base percentage of .385. He has 31 hits this season in 93 at bats with 12 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .452 and an OPS+ of 122. Nomar Mazara is hitting .294 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .357. He has totaled 42 hits and he has driven in 26 men in 143 at bats. His OPS+ is 135 while his slugging percentage is at .545. The Rangers have 307 hits, including 63 doubles and 48 home runs. Texas has walked 118 times so far this season and they have struck out 385 times as a unit. They have left 255 men on base and have a team OPS of .705. They score 4.1 runs per contest and have scored a total of 160 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Houston has a 24-15 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 1.17, Justin Verlander has a 4-1 record and a 0.71 WHIP. He has 70 strikeouts over the 53.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 27 hits. He's allowing 4.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.31. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.23 and they have given up 82 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .219 against the Astros bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 108 batters and walked 28 opposing hitters. As a team, Houston allows 6.4 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.6. The Astros pitchers as a team have surrendered 250 base knocks and 101 earned runs this season. They have given up 31 home runs this year, which ranks 27th in Major League Baseball. Houston as a staff has walked 101 hitters and struck out 401 batters. They give up a walk 2.6 times per 9 innings while they strike out 10.3 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.01 while their FIP as a staff is 3.00.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .260, good for 4th in the league. The Astros hold a .414 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .335, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 6th in MLB with 8.9 hits per contest. Carlos Correa comes into this matchup batting .296 with an OBP of .367. He has 40 hits this year along with 25 RBI in 135 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .496 with an OPS+ of 142. Jose Altuve is hitting .331 this season and he has an OBP of .387. He has collected 52 hits in 157 at bats while driving in 17 runs. He has an OPS+ of 134 and a slugging percentage of .439. The Astros as a unit have 346 base hits, including 75 doubles and 41 homers. Houston has walked 143 times this year and they have struck out on 330 occasions. They have had 281 men left on base and have an OPS of .749. They have scored 4.87 runs per game and totaled 190 runs this season.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Rangers +227

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