Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers – MLB, September 25, 2020

The second contest of a four-game set at Globe Life Field in Arlington between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers is set for Friday, September 25, with the first pitch at 8:05 PM ET.

These two AL West foes played six H2H contests this season before the start of this series, and the Astros have won four of those six games that all took place at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

I have prepared all key betting tips and trends for Friday’s Texas showdown, bringing you the best Astros vs. Rangers betting pick, so let’s take a closer look. 

The Astros opened as -165 favorites on Bovada Sportsbook. Excluding the opening game of this set, the Astros have won 15 of their previous 19 matchups with the Rangers and 12 of their previous 18 outings in Arlington.

The Rangers were 19-37 on Thursday, sitting bottom of the AL West and out of the playoff contention. The Astros were 28-28 and will finish second in the AL West, earning the No. 6 seed in the American League.

The Astros will start Jose Urquidy for the fifth time this season. The 25-year-old righty is 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across 22.2 innings.

Urquidy has pitched at a high level in his previous two outings, allowing only three earned runs on nine hits while striking out nine through 13 frames of work. His lone victory in 2020 came against Texas, as Urquidy fanned seven while yielding just a run on three hits.

The Rangers will counter with Kyle Cody, and the rookie right-hander is 1-1 in four starts and three relief appearances. He owns a 1.53 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 17.2 innings of work.

Cody pitched three innings in Urquidy’s win over Texas on September 15, allowing one earned run on four hits and a couple of walks, but he wasn’t charged with a loss.

The Rangers have the second-lowest scoring offense in the MLB, tallying just 3.59 runs per game. Their .213/.281/.355 batting line is the second-worst in baseball, too.

On the other side, the Astros are scoring 4.61 runs per game while slashing .238/.310/.402 which are all below the league average.

The Astros have struggled offensively over the last few weeks, but they are still way better than the Rangers. Jose Urquidy will have another chance to show his talent against Texas’ hapless offense, so I’m taking the Astros to win at -165.

Kyle Cody shouldn’t last for too long, considering his problems with control, while the Rangers’ bullpen has the 10^th– worst ERA in the majors (4.71). Cody has recorded 17 strikeouts and 10 free passes thus far, so he could easily struggle against the Astros’ bats.

These two teams know each other very well. It’s a divisional battle, so both sides will be fired up regardless of the current standings. On paper, the Astros are a better team in this matchup, and I expect them to prove it on the field. They’ve dominated the Rangers over the last year and a half.