Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 5/21/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros

Date: Saturday, May 21, 2022

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Texas (+190) Houston (-235)

The Houston Astros (25-14) are hosting the Texas Rangers (17-20) at Minute Maid Park on Saturday. The odds on this game have Texas at +190 and Houston is sitting at -235. The over/under has been set at 7.5. The pitchers taking the mound will be Jon Gray and Justin Verlander.

As a unit, the Texas Rangers are scoring 4.2 runs per game, which ranks them 15th in MLB. They have earned 155 runs and have an OBP of .289. The Rangers have tallied 41 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 39 balls out of the park. They have earned 143 RBI's as well as 271 hits on the year, and their average at the plate is at .221. Texas is slugging .355 and have been called out on strikes 303 times, while drawing a walk on 110 occasions.

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The Rangers have compiled a team earned run average of 4.14 so far this season (25th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 329 hitters. They have walked 140 opposing players and their FIP is 4.26 as a team over the course of the season. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.35 and the pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.30. Rangers pitchers have relinquished 44 home runs in addition to 163 runs (21st in baseball).

The Rangers have dispatched 141 relief pitchers to the mound for the season. The relievers have inherited 54 runners so far this year and 29.6% of those runners crossed home plate. They have tallied 8 saves on the campaign and have not converted 4 out of their 12 chances to get a save. The Rangers relief pitchers have a save rate of 66.7% and has stepped onto the mound in 33 save situations. The relief pitchers have notched 21 holds this season (17th in baseball). Rangers relief pitchers have entered the game with players on base 36 times as well as having 44 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Rangers have converted 70.2% of balls in play into outs in their 2,952 innings, which has them sitting 16th in MLB. The Texas Rangers have notched a total of 984 putouts this season, in addition to 338 assists and 25 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .981 which puts them in 23rd in professional baseball, and have earned 29 double plays.

Gray (54-50 win-loss record in his career) has a FIP of 3.90 while going up against 3,650 batters in the majors. He has allowed 851 hits (9.0 hits per 9 innings) and has 288 walks. His earned run average is 4.62 (437 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.338. Gray has pitched in 851 innings and has earned 872 K's in his pro baseball career.

The Houston Astros have earned an OBP of .311 and a team batting average of .231 so far this season. They have been rung up on 313 occasions (18th in baseball) and have recorded 300 hits. Houston has a total of 56 home runs for the year and 169 runs batted in. The Astros have a team SLG% of .417 and they tally 4.44 runs per outing (11th in the league). They have hit 65 doubles, while taking a walk 142 times and scoring 173 runs.

The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.128 with a FIP of 3.54 as a squad this season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.87 (310 strikeouts vs 108 free passes). They rank 8th in MLB as a staff in total hits allowed with 279. They have allowed 30 long balls and they relinquish 3.33 runs per 9 innings (3rd in baseball). The Houston pitching staff have conceded 127 runs this year and come in with a team ERA of 2.96 (113 earned runs conceded).

Houston has called on relief pitchers to step onto the mound in 11 save chances and they have converted 8 saves. They are ranked 7th in baseball holding a save rate of 72.7%, and they have sent 122 relievers onto the field over the course of the season. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 35 times in high leverage situations and also on 24 occasions with base runners. Houston relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 28.6% of 35 inherited runners. Sitting with 32 save situations, the Astros have compiled 21 holds and also 3 blown saves.

Out of their 3,090 innings played, the Astros have earned a defensive efficiency of 72.4% (5th in pro baseball). The Houston Astros have gotten 32 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .989 (5th in baseball). The Astros have 318 assists, 15 errors and have earned 1,030 putouts for the year.

In his pro baseball career, Verlander has conceded 2,560 base knocks while earning 3,054 strikeouts in 3,033 innings pitched. Verlander (231-130 career mark) has a 3.30 ERA and has surrendered 7.6 hits per nine innings. He has allowed a total of 1,112 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.127 and having a FIP of 3.4. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.55 and he has gone up against 12,376 hitters during his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Texas (+190)

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