Take Texas To Defeat Houston On Thursday Night Baseball

• When: Thursday, May 15th at 8:05 PM ET
• Who: Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers
• TV/Streaming: MLB Video
• Starting Pitchers: Hunter Brown and Jacob deGrom
• Where: Globe Life Field, in Arlington, TX

The Texas Rangers play the opener of their four-game set versus the Houston Astros. Yes, both teams are kind of sputtering around. Houston and Texas are both not in first place and only around .500. Next. Astros vs Rangers bets take a look at the rivals and whether Texas can get closer to the division lead.

The Rangers are slight favorites at home over the Astros. Why? Simply, Jacob deGrom is looking like the pitcher he was before his latest injury. Hunter Brown has been incredible for Houston going 6-1 with a 1.48 ERA in eight starts. This has all the makings of a pitcher duel but what if the bullpens cannot keep it together? Yes, the door gets opened a little for som extra wagers on Thursday night.

Do not forget to take a look at our MLB Online Betting Strategies Guide, which will help you prepare for any MLB props, bets and much more. Texas has won four straight games and six of their previous 10 games. Meanwhile, Houston has split their last 10 contests. The Athletics and Mariners do not figure to head the division when the season is done. Houston and Texas are the favorites.

So, with four potential contending teams in the AL West, every game carries more importance. Can Texas take down Houston at home or will the Astros take the opener?

A Preview, A Table, And A First Pick

The Astros vs Rangers bets focuses on the two main wagers - the moneyline and the game total. Yes, these will most of the time be foremost on our minds. Below, we present the following table.

While the Rangers have started to get things going, this "rivalry" game is far from automatic. Houston features their ace against the Texas number one starting pitcher. One small difference is the fact that Brown and deGrom both average 9.5+ K's per nine innings.

Someone asked again about the NRFI (No Run First Inning). Let us get that out of the way first. The rationale with the NRFI at -165, it may be one of those wagers where better options exist. The over of 0.5 walks in the first inning would be a better bet here.

Astros vs Rangers Bets Like The Home Team

Yes, the Astros vs Rangers bets like the home team. The Rangers stand with a mark of 13-8 at home while the Astros are below .500 on the road. Texas does not score runs. Now, the Rangers average fewer than 4 runs a game while the Astros average 4 .1 runs a game. Both teams do seem to prioritize pitching a hair more than hitting. The Astros are 7-11 on the road with a run differential around even. It will be interesting to see what may happen on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Houston and Texas do have some underlying issues via the bullpen. Jacob Webb and Luke Jackson for Texas have been touched up for 18 earned runs combined in 33.1 innings. Another slight concern, this time for Houston, is the following. The Astros do have a powerful 3-4-5 much like the Rangers. That can always spice things up when it comes to these two teams.

Betting on the home team for a victory is a good plan, and the spread may be a slightly too far of a bridge to ride. However, there are several options with Texas in this series opener. For one, the straight up moneyline is worth a very close look. Again, less runs early and more runs later seems to be the best course of action err option to bet. I do believe in Texas to get to four runs first even though this may happen in the seventh inning or later. That number rumbles in at +140 now.

Game Totals With Houston And Texas Thursday

The game totals with Houston and Texas is definitely intriguing on Thursday. With the upper limit 7.5 total here, that makes it easy to try and risk the over anyway. This will not be easy. However, Texas can pop in some offense about once or twice every five games. Yes, taking a few extra risks does not hurt. , Jacob deGrom has allowed seven home runs in eight starts. For as good as he has been in the early going, those still count as runs.

There is the idea too that Brown could be due for a bit of regression at some point. Let this sink in. Brown is again off to a 6-1 start while allowing a mere eight earned runs. Also, the Houston starting pitcher has given up one home run in 48 innings. This is a pitcher who gave up 26 and 18 home runs in 2023 and 2024. It will be interesting to see how long Brown can ride this sort of momentum.

Okay, there is something else too. In case, no one has watched the news, there is a heat bubble err wave that is hitting in Texas. Temperatures are expected to be around 90 degrees again on Thursday. Expect the ball to carry in the 10-15 mph breezes along with a little extra humidity.

Overall, I'd take the over of 7.5 runs at EVEN odds at Bovada. Do not worry as there will be more than enough props which will open up between now and the evening start time on Thursday.

Go peruse those BetNow review for example, for the best MLB  odds on your favorite games before making those wagers.