Tuesday afternoon has us a game into the 2023 National League Championship Series and two games into the ALCS. In the NLCS, the Philadelphia Phillies won Game 1 at home over the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Game 2 set for Tuesday night. In the ALCS, the Texas Rangers took a commanding 2-0 lead after winning the first two games down in Houston, meaning that the Astros need to win two of three up in Arlington to get the series back down to Minute Maid Park. The Rangers have announced Max Scherzer, who has not pitched in a game in over a month due to shoulder issues, will start Game 3 at home. Will the gambit pay off? Check out our MLB betting prediction for this Lone Star showdown between Astros vs Rangers.
ALCS: Houston Astros at Texas Rangers in Game 3. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has a reputation for managing his pitching staffs at a high level, so we will see.
Texas leads, 2-0
When: Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 8:03 pm ET
Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: FS1
Radio: ESPN Radio
Live Stream: Hulu
MLB Odds: Houston +112 / Texas -132 // O/U 9.5
Pitchers: Cristian Javier vs Max Scherzer
Why should you bet on the Astros?
Cristian Javier finished the regular season with a 10-5 record and a 4.56 ERA, but his first postseason start was immaculate as he held the Minnesota Twins scoreless, allowing just one hit and scattering five walks over five innings, fanning nine batters. He has only faced the Rangers once this year, back on July 3. He got shelled for eight runs on nine hits, including a pair of home runs, over 4 ⅓ innings, but the Astros got the better of the game, winning 12-11. If you combine Javier’s last regular-season start, in Arizona, with his win over the Twins, he has an 11-inning scoreless streak going.
Yordan Alvarez has the Rangers’ number so far – he had two home runs in the Game 2 loss, making the game 5-2 and 5-4 at different points. He is just the sixth player in MLB history to post two multi-home run games in the same postseason. The Astros went just 39-42 at Minute Maid Park this season, going 51-30 on the road – including an emphatic three-game sweep of the Rangers up in Arlington in their last meeting of the season. If you don’t think the Astros will be able to handle a rusty Max Scherzer, you may not have an accurate notion of the scope of their offense.
MLB Playoffs Odds | Bet on the Astros to Win Today!
Why should you put your money on the Rangers?
Max Scherzer was part of a World Series champion in Washington, and the three-time Cy Young winner is now pitching in the postseason for his fifth team. He posted a 13-6 record and a 3.77 ERA during the regular season. The Astros absolutely shelled him on September 6, hitting three home runs among six hits while posting seven runs in just three innings of a 12-3 loss. His other two September starts, against the Twins and the Blue Jays, and he had not permitted more than three earned runs in any game since July 22 before that debacle against the Astros.
The Texas Rangers’ bullpen had been a mess for most of the season, but Jose Leclerc has emerged at just the right time as a dependable closer. He is the first pitcher in MLB postseason history to finish the first seven games his team played in a postseason, breaking Kenley Jansen’s record of six, set in 2017. His fastball is back up – averaging 96.7 mph in Game 2 yesterday as opposed to just 94.1 mph on Opening Day.
MLB Playoffs Odds | Bet on the Rangers to Win Today!
Astros vs Rangers Final Score and Prediction
With Javier’s shaky numbers against Texas (and just about everyone before his last start of the regular season) and with Scherzer coming back from an extended absence, this slightly high run total makes sense. The Rangers are playing clutch ball right now, and I like to stay with momentum. I predict a final score of Texas 5, Houston 3.
MLB Playoffs Odds to Win the World Series
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +208 |
| Texas Rangers | +280 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +320 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +430 |
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Astros vs Rangers MLB Playoffs Odds
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