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Rangers vs Astros ALCS Game 2 Prediction, Odds & Picks: Can Texas Take Commanding Lead?
Written by: Devon Platana
Last Updated:
Read Time: 6 minutes
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We’re one step closer to reaching the 2023 World Series as this year’s American League Championship Series continues on Monday. The Texas Rangers emerged victorious from Sunday’s Game 1, leaving time to tell if they can go up 2-0 over the Houston Astros by the end of the day.
The Rangers took a 1-0 series lead with a 2-0 win over the Astros less than 24 hours ago. Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras drove in each of Texas’ runs as starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery struck out six batters over 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Can Texas win back-to-back games before returning home with a commanding series lead? Or will Houston find a way to even things before it’s too late?
Continue reading for a full Rangers vs. Astros ALCS Game 4 betting preview, featuring the latest MLB odds, a prediction, and the best bets you can make tonight.
Rangers vs Astros Tonight — ALCS Game 2
TEX vs. HOU Game Information
- Matchup: Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros (TEX leads 1-0)
- Venue & Location: Minute Maid Park (Houston, TX)
- Date: Monday, Oct. 16, 2023
- Game Time: 4:37 p.m. Eastern Time
- Where to Watch Rangers vs. Astros Tonight: FOX, FS1
Rangers vs Astros Game 2 Odds
Game odds as of Monday, Oct. 16 at 9:01 a.m. ET, courtesy of Bovada. Odds from other reputable sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.
Spread
- Texas Rangers +1.5 (-200)
- Houston Astros -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under
- Over 8 Runs (-115)
- Under 8 Runs (-105)
Moneyline
- Texas Rangers -102
- Houston Astros -118
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Now, back to some baseball…
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Rangers vs Astros Probable Pitchers Game 2 (Oct. 16)
- Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi (2 starts — 2-0, 1.32 ERA)
- Astros: Framber Valdez (1 start — 0-1, 10.38 ERA)
Rangers vs Astros Betting Trends
- Texas is 5-1 straight up in its last six road games.
- Houston is 6-3 straight up in its last nine games against the AL West.
- The total has hit the Under in four of Texas’ last five AL West matchups.
- The total has hit the Over in four of Houston’s last five home games.
- The total has hit the Over in six of the last seven Texas-Houston matchups.
Rangers vs Astros Game 2 Prediction
The fact that the Astros didn’t get any offense going in Game 1 was shocking. After all, they had just swept the Rangers in a three-game series at the start of September, outscoring their AL West rival 39-10 on aggregate over that span.
Fast forward to last night and it looked like a different Houston team, failing to tally a single run and only recording five hits while leaving six runners on base. Considering how much offensive talent Texas possesses, the home team can’t afford a similar performance in Game 2.
The truth is that some Astros are underperforming at the moment. Jose Altuve is only slashing .200/.238/.350 over 20 at-bats in the playoffs. Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker are both batting .211 or worse with 12 combined strikeouts over the last five games.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are getting strong offensive production across the board as five players are betting .286 or better. On top of that, seven different Texas batters have homered this postseason as Adolis Garcia leads the way with two.
There’s a good chance that the Rangers will keep putting up strong offensive numbers with the way that Framber Valdez has been pitching. The Astros starting pitcher looked awful in his lone ALDS appearance, giving up five runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Although Valdez owns a 7-5 record and 2.90 ERA in 16 career games against the Rangers, he’s been losing more often than not lately. He’s lost three of his last four starts against Texas (including a 1-2 record in 2023), playing to a 4.24 ERA along the way.
On the other hand, Nathan Eovaldi has been rock-solid for Texas. He’s made two playoff starts thus far, going 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings.
That’s without mentioning his success at Minute Maid Park. In three previous trips to Houston, Eovaldi boasts a 2-1 record and 2.25 ERA with 13 Ks.
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Even though the Astros are favored at home, I’m going with the Rangers taking a 2-0 lead. They’ve been great in the playoffs so far, going 6-0 with a plus-3.7 average run margin. Houston is good, but Valdez’s struggles are too concerning to ignore.
Throw in the fact that Eovaldi has been terrific in the postseason and I see Texas’ offense carrying the team to a decisive victory.
Rangers vs Astros Game 2 Prediction: TEX 5, HOU 3
Best Bet: TEX ML (-102 on Bovada)
Rangers vs Astros Game 2 Player Prop
If you’re looking for a Rangers vs. Astros ALCS Game 2 player prop, I’m going with Josh Jung to record over 1.5 total hits, runs, and RBIs.
Jung has been terrific over the last five games, recording nine hits, six runs, and two RBIs over that span. For reference, that’s an average total of 3.4 when it comes to this prop. While he didn’t hit the Over on this wager in Game 1, I expect that to change tonight.
With 12 hits, seven runs, and five RBIs across 10 games (average of 2.4) against the Astros in 2023, expect Jung to make his presence felt in Game 2.
Bet: Josh Jung to Record o1.5 Total Hits, Runs, and RBIs (-110 on Bovada)
More MLB Betting Content
How can I bet on Rangers vs Astros ALCS Game 2?
All of the top online sports betting sites will have Rangers vs. Astros Game 2 odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for baseball betting enthusiasts.
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Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
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