Rangers vs. Astros Odds

On Sunday night, the Houston Astros will have an opportunity to secure their second consecutive pennant when they host the Texas Rangers for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. will get the ball for the Astros, who will be opposed by for the Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for 8:03 PM ET on FS1.

Ahead of first pitch, oddsmakers have priced the Astros as -120 favorites on the moneyline. The total for this contest is set at over/under 8.5 runs.

Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where baseball bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.

Texas Rangers

What to expect from

has performed exceptionally well during his first three postseason starts this season, but this will be his toughest test yet, facing a dangerous Houston lineup for the second time in less than a week.

Eovaldi has a diverse pitch mix, which theoretically makes him better equipped to handle a hyper-proximity matchup than other pitchers who rely more extensively on only one or two pitches. However, his most recent hyper-proximity matchup does not support that conclusion, with him allowing 7 earned runs in 3.1 innings to the Seattle Mariners on September 29.

Eovaldi will be on an extremely short leash this evening, with the Rangers’ season hanging in the balance. Do not be surprised if his postseason dominance comes to an end tonight.

Texas offense with their backs against the wall

Following a strong start to these playoffs, Texas has seen their bats go cold in the ALCS. Entering play on Sunday, the Rangers offense has an underwhelming .678 OPS in this series, which is the 2nd-worst mark of any team remaining in baseball’s version of the Final Four. The only team with a lower OPS than them is Arizona, which faces a similar hole heading into Game 6 against Philadelphia.

In Game 5, Texas was a disappointing 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, as they continued to struggle in key situations. Their ability to execute with men on base could determine whether they go home tonight or whether they get to play again tomorrow.

Trust issues in Texas

At this point in the postseason, it is abundantly clear that Manager Bruce Bochy has zero confidence in anyone other than , , and in his bullpen. The problem with that situation is that the Rangers are overly reliant on their starting pitcher getting through 6 innings, and even then, they have no margin for error in the latter frames. Leclerc was asked to get 4 outs in Game 5, which proved to be too tall of a task for him. He allowed 3 runs and threw 30 pitches, blowing Texas’ chance at a 3-2 series lead.

Tonight, all hands are on deck for this relief corps. Whether Bochy wants to or not, he is likely going to need to go the bullpen prior to the 7th inning, with Eovaldi facing the same lineup for the second time in less than a week. This is an area of concern for Texas fans.