Few sporting events can match the drama of a Game 7. That’s where we’re at in the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Monday night’s game in Houston will decide the AL pennant, and it’s even more special because baseball bettors can choose between two Texas teams in a Lone Star battle.
Here are the latest Astros vs Rangers odds at the best sports betting apps. Click on the odds you like best and place your bet.
On Sunday, the Rangers won 9-2, forcing Game 7, and continuing the trend of road teams winning each game. Tonight, Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and sort of “Cy Old,” will face Cristian Javier, Houston’s “Cy Future.” Both teams will have an “all hands on deck” approach to this game.
The odds favor the Astros, though maybe they shouldn’t. Houston has lost all three home games in the ALCS and is 1-4 in the postseason in Minute Maid Park. While Minute Maid drinks may be sweet and refreshing, it’s proved to be sour for the Astros this series, and this season. More on that below when we make our Game 7 betting pick.
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Pitching Matchup for Game 7
Max Scherzer (11.25 ERA, 4 K in 4 IP) vs. Cristian Javier (1.69 ERA, 12 K in 10.2 IP)
Javier is the more dependable of the pitchers who will start Game 7. Scherzer did little in Game 3 (when he allowed five runs in four innings) to prove he’s his old self after a shoulder injury that shelved him for more than a month.
Meanwhile, Javier tossed four no-hit innings in Game 3 as he continued to be basically unhittable in the postseason. “Mr. World Series No-Hitter” eventually allowed a hit to the Rangers, but he looked dominant.
In Game 7’s the pressure is on the batter more than the pitcher for the most part. Every slider seems to move a little more, every curveball snaps with extra bite, and the fastballs pop the catcher’s mitt with extra velocity. Even skilled lineups like the Astros and Rangers can flail and fail in a big Game 7. That’s why we expect runs to be at a premium on Monday, and strikeouts to stack up like burgers on a Texas grill.
Astros vs Rangers Game 7 Odds & Prediction
This series looked like it might be short and disappointing as far as baseball fans’ hopes. Then, the Astros seemed to take control by winning three straight in the Rangers’ home park. On Sunday, Texas erased a deficit and pulled away, fueled by clutch performances from their bullpen, and a grand slam from Houston’s Enemy No. 1, Adolis Garcia.
As a result, Bruce Bochy and his team enter Game 7 with a chance to vanquish the Big Bad Astros, and put a dent in baseball’s Great Orange Dynasty.
Game 7 Notes
- The Astros are 6-6 in “winner-take-all” postseason games; the Rangers are 1-3.
- This is the third Game 7 to be played at Minute Maid Park: the Astros are 1-1 in the previous two.
- In Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS at Minute Maid Park, Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run to defeat the Yankees and win the pennant.
- This is the fifth time that Max Scherzer has started a “winner-take-all” game in the postseason. His teams are 3-1.
- The Rangers won the first two games of this series. In MLB history, the team up 2-0 in a seven-game series is 75-14. Only two AL teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to win the pennant: the 1985 Royals and 2004 Red Sox.
ALCS Game 7 Best Bet
A home team has to win one game in this series, doesn’t it? Game 7 seems like the perfect time. We admit we aren’t brimming with confidence that the Astros will win on Monday, but as the home team, with oodles of experience, we tilt the game in their favor, just like the oddsmakers.
We have an idea that home runs and baserunning will be the difference. Keep an eye on Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Chas McCormick in Game 7 on the Houston side, and Adolis Garcia is red-hot for Texas.
Astros To Win by Exactly One Run (+475 from BetMGM) – Ryan Pressly did not pitch in Game 6. The Houston closer has been nearly perfect this postseason: 5 games, 3 saves, 6 innings, 2 hits, and ZERO runs allowed. We think Pressly will be on the hill in the ninth inning to close out a nail-biting one-run victory for the defending champs.
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