Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Prediction, 7/31/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros

Date: Friday, July 31, 2026

Location: Daikin Park in Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Odds/Point Spread: Texas (-132) Houston (+110)

The Houston Astros (55-55) are hosting the Texas Rangers (55-53) at Daikin Park on Friday. The moneyline on this game has Texas at -132 while Houston opens at +110. The total is set at 8.5. The pitchers expected to start will be Nathan Eovaldi and Hunter Brown.

The Rangers have accrued 163 doubles as a unit and have hit 125 baseballs out of the park. Texas is slugging .405 and have been rung up 912 times, while being walked on 342 occasions. As a unit, the Texas Rangers are scoring 4.2 runs per game, which has them sitting at 23rd in the league. They have compiled 438 RBI's as well as 891 base knocks so far this year, while their batting average is at .247. They have accumulated 454 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .319.

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The Rangers have compiled a team earned run average of 4.25 so far this year (19th in baseball), and their staff has struck out 915 hitters. Rangers pitchers have yielded 132 home runs and 475 runs in total (14th in the league). They have walked 306 players from the other team and their FIP sits at 4.10 as a unit on the campaign. Texas has surrendered 888 hits (8.4 per 9 innings) in addition to 448 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 2.99 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.26.

Rangers relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 97 times and also have had 104 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have a total of 58 holds on the season (16th in baseball). The Rangers relief pitchers have earned a save rate of 72.7% and stepped onto the hill in 104 save situations. They have recorded 32 saves this season and have blown 12 of their 44 save opportunities. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 144 base runners so far this season and 32.6% of those players ended up scoring. The Rangers have sent 345 relief pitchers to the hill on the year.

The Texas Rangers have earned 2,845 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 827 assists and 45 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .988 which puts them in 7th in professional baseball, and they have turned 67 double plays. The Rangers have transformed 70.1% of balls hit into play into outs out of 8,535 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 13th in pro baseball.

Eovaldi has pitched in 1,824 innings and has 1,617 K's in his MLB career. Eovaldi (112-92 career mark) holds a FIP of 3.84 and he has faced 7,631 hitters during his time in the major leagues. His ERA is 3.90 (791 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.244. He has conceded 1,775 base hits (8.8 hits per 9 innings) and has 495 free passes.

The Houston Astros have accumulated an OBP of .316 as well as a team batting average of .241 on the year. They have been rung up on 906 instances (16th in MLB) and have accounted for 894 base hits. Houston has accumulated 151 home runs for the year as well as 480 RBIs. The Astros hold a team slugging % of .412 and they are earning 4.59 runs per game (12th in MLB). They have recorded 161 two-baggers, while walking 364 times and putting up 505 runs.

The Astros have a team WHIP of 1.383 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.77 as a staff so far this season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 8.90 (964 strikeouts vs 471 walks). They are currently ranked 13th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 876. They have relinquished 148 homers and they allow 5.04 runs per 9 innings (25th in the league). The Houston pitching staff have allowed 546 runs so far this season while holding an ERA of 4.69 (508 earned runs surrendered).

Houston bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 27.3% out of their 150 inherited base runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 107 times in high leverage situations in addition to 100 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 92 save situations, the Astros have tallied 52 holds and 6 blown saves. They are ranked 1st in baseball holding a save rate of 85.0%, and they have dispatched 350 relievers to the mound over the course of the season.

In their 8,769 innings played, the Astros hold a defensive efficiency of 70.8% (9th in MLB). The Houston Astros have turned 85 double plays and have a fielding rate of .988 (6th in pro baseball). The Astros have accrued 789 assists, 45 errors and have earned 2,923 putouts this year.

In his pro baseball career, Brown has surrendered 493 hits while totaling 635 punch outs in 578 frames. Brown (38-32 mark in his career) has a 3.49 earned run average while allowing 7.7 hits per 9 innings. He has surrendered 224 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.211 and having a FIP of 3.4. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.07 and he has faced 2,386 opposing batters during his pro baseball career.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Texas (-132)

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