The Championship Series in the American League is developing quite unexpectedly, with victory in each of the previous 6 games going to the visiting team. If the trend continues, logic dictates that in game 7 of the ALCS, the Rangers will secure their 4rd win and make their way to the World Series.
On the other hand, a win for the Astros also means a trip to the World Series. The matchup is scheduled for tonight, October 23 at Minute Maid Park, and sports gambling apps make the Astros a 1.5-run favorite. Houston was on the right path after it outscored the Rangers in three games in a row, and on the road. But once they came back home, problems appeared. Let’s inspect the MLB best bets of the day and make predictions about this suspense all-Texas championship series.
Rangers are Undefeated on the Road
The Ranger's margin of error is slim. However, the good news, as it was revealed in the first two games of the series, is that the Astros are not undefeatable at home. Their home record this season is negative with a 40-45, and the Rangers have not lost a road game in the playoffs.
The starting pitcher for the Rangers will be Max Scherzer, who has a career postseason record of 7-8 with a 3.80 ERA. Scherzer was solid in the regular season with an ERA of 3.77 over 152.2 innings pitched. The offense lost some of momentum in games 3 and 4 with key players such as Marcus Semien and Corey Seager not scoring runs in crucial moments. However, game 5 was a tough-fought battle, and with a 2-9 win in game 6, the Rangers signaled they will be competitive to the last inning of this series.
The odds for a moneyline bet are +105, while for covering the +1.5 run line, the best betting sites for free bets offer -192 odds on the Rangers to cover. The total is set at 9 runs with -115 odds for the Over and -105 odd for the Under bet.
The Astros Are at the Gates of the World Series
After three losses at home, the Astros are facing a postseason elimination by their division rival. Things started to look up for Houston in game 3, but they are back in an unfavorable position going into game 7, although nothing is over in this American League contest.
The Astros are expected to start Cristian Javier, a pitcher who defeated the Rangers in game 3 of this series. So far in the postseason, Javier has an ERA of 1.69, with wins in both games as a starter. However, it's worth remembering that Javier had a regular season ERA of 4.56 over 162 innings pitched.
The most potent weapon on the Astro roster is Jose Altuve. After being absent from a production perspective in the first two games, Altuve woke up at the right moment and scored 2 home runs, 4 extra-base hits, and 6 runs at Globe Life Field over three games. Altuve has a regular season batting average of .311 and will be the biggest threat to the Rangers.
A moneyline bet on the Astros is worth -125 odds, while +160 odds are offered for Houston to cover its -1.5 run line.