Texas Rangers at Houston Astros 7/29/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Minute Maid Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Mike Minor vs. Lance McCullers Jr.

The Texas Rangers visit Minute Maid Park on Sunday, July 29, 2018 to play the Houston Astros. The probable starters are Mike Minor for the Rangers and Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros.

The opening line for this matchup has Texas at +255 and Houston at -280. The Rangers have a 49-49-7 over/under record and a 52-53-0 run line mark. The Astros are 53-52-0 against the run line and have a 47-52-6 over/under record.

Valuable Texas Rangers Betting Trends

The Texas Rangers are 49-49-7 against the over/under

The Texas Rangers are 52-53-0 against the run line

Important Houston Astros Betting Trends

The Houston Astros are 47-52-6 against the over/under

The Houston Astros are 53-52-0 against the run line

Key Texas Rangers Injuries

07/20/18 RF Nomar Mazara Thumb 10-day DL (07/17)
07/05/18 P Chris Martin Groin 10-day DL (07/05)
07/04/18 P Tony Barnette Shoulder 60-day DL (07/04)
06/16/18 C Carlos Perez Ankle 10-day DL (06/16)
06/15/18 P Matt Bush Elbow 60-day DL (06/14)
06/10/18 P Doug Fister Knee 60-day DL (06/09)
05/08/18 LF Drew Robinson Hip 10-day DL (05/08)
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

07/27/18 2B Jose Altuve Knee is "?" Saturday vs Texas Rangers
07/03/18 C Brian McCann Knee 10-day DL (07/01)
06/28/18 SS Carlos Correa Back 10-day DL (06/26)
05/21/18 LF Derek Fisher Intestinal 10-day DL (05/20)
03/30/18 P Brady Rodgers Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Jandel Gustave Elbow 10-day DL (03/26)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Rangers have a 43-62 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Mike Minor has a 6-6 record with an earned run average of 4.83 and a WHIP of 1.22 this season. He has 84 strikeouts over his 104.1 innings pitched and he's given up 102 hits. He's allowed 8.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.69. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.19 and they have given up 351 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .251 against the bullpen and they've struck out 328 hitters and walked 128 batters. As a team, Texas allows 9.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.2 batters per nine innings. They are 28th in the league in team earned run average at 4.89. The Rangers pitchers collectively have given up 1,002 base hits and 507 earned runs. They have allowed 138 home runs this season, ranking them 4th in the league. Texas as a pitching staff has walked 309 batters and struck out 747. They have walked 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.40 and their FIP as a unit is 4.66.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Texas is hitting .240, good for 25th in the league. The Rangers hold a .402 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .321, which is good for 11th in baseball. They rank 25th in MLB with 8.1 hits per game. Shin-Soo Choo is hitting .285 with an on-base percentage of .400. He has 108 hits this season in 379 at bats with 47 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .488 and an OPS+ of 134. Nomar Mazara is hitting .272 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .332. He has totaled 96 hits and he has driven in 58 men in 353 at bats. His OPS+ is 105 while his slugging percentage is at .450. The Rangers have 850 hits, including 168 doubles and 123 home runs. Texas has walked 377 times so far this season and they have struck out 997 times as a unit. They have left 729 men on base and have a team OPS of .723. They score 4.52 runs per contest and have scored a total of 475 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Houston has a 67-38 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.01, Lance McCullers Jr. has a 10-5 record and a 1.20 WHIP. He has 122 strikeouts over the 116.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 92 hits. He's allowing 7.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.82. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.16 and they have given up 243 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .219 against the Astros bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 359 batters and walked 77 opposing hitters. As a team, Houston allows 7 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.06. The Astros pitchers as a team have surrendered 739 base knocks and 322 earned runs this season. They have given up 99 home runs this year, which ranks 28th in Major League Baseball. Houston as a staff has walked 282 hitters and struck out 1,104 batters. They give up a walk 2.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 10.5 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.08 while their FIP as a staff is 3.22.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .258, good for 5th in the league. The Astros hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .333, which is good for 4th in baseball. They rank 6th in MLB with 8.7 hits per contest. George Springer comes into this matchup batting .249 with an OBP of .335. He has 100 hits this year along with 54 RBI in 401 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .424 with an OPS+ of 113. Jose Altuve is hitting .329 this season and he has an OBP of .392. He has collected 134 hits in 407 at bats while driving in 46 runs. He has an OPS+ of 142 and a slugging percentage of .464. The Astros as a unit have 918 base hits, including 191 doubles and 131 homers. Houston has walked 380 times this year and they have struck out on 795 occasions. They have had 701 men left on base and have an OPS of .761. They have scored 5.02 runs per game and totaled 527 runs this season.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Rangers +255

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