Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Best Bet: Can Max Scherzer, Rangers Get It Done Tonight?
The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros play the final game of their series. Can Max Scherzer and the Rangers get it done tonight? Baseball betting expert Krabs breaks down this MLB game.
Krabs - September 6, 2023, 4:28 PM EDT
5 minTexas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Best Bet: Can Max Scherzer, Rangers Get It Done Tonight?
For the first time since April 8th, the Texas Rangers are out of the playoff picture. The Houston Astros have outscored the Rangers 27-7 in the first two games of this pivotal series. These two teams are trending in different directions, but that doesn’t mean the Rangers can’t steal the last game of this series like the Astros stole signs back in 2018.
Rangers vs. Astros Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 6, 2023
- Time: 8:05 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Prediction
Max Scherzer is a different breed. He is not human, and he’s wired differently than any other starting pitcher I’ve watched in my 25 years of life. Max Scherzer is the ultimate competitor. I’ve never seen any player in any sport show as much competitive energy as Mad Max.
Tonight, Scherzer will be facing his ex-teammate for former Hall of Fame inductee Justin Verlander. These two arms were both in the New York Mets dugout only a few months ago, but after that failed experiment, they look to face off in an extremely important series finale.
Verlander is a future Hall of Famer, but he’s struggled mightily on the road this season. He owns a 4.02 ERA on the road. Max Scherzer, on the other hand, owns a 2.25 ERA at home this season. Both of these veterans have struggled away from home this season, but only Verlander is facing that challenge head-on tonight.
This Rangers offense is one of the best in baseball. Sure, the Astros have dominated the Rangers all series and have honestly owned them for years. The Rangers are like the Clippers of the MLB, and they are the “little brother” of Texas baseball teams. There’s only one guy who I’m comfortable putting my hard-earned money on to flip the script in this series, and that’s Max Scherzer.
I don’t think the public knows how much of a competitor this man really is. As a Nationals fan, I watched him come through in spots like tonight for nearly a decade. Max Scherzer wins games when the lights are the brightest; he doesn’t get fazed by the surrounding circumstances; he harnesses that energy and utilizes it.
It’s been an up-and-down season for Mad Max, who is also a “shoe-in” for the Hall of Fame. He did look neatly unhittable in his last outing against the Twins, where he racked up seven strikeouts in six innings of one-hit ball. Scherzer has settled in nicely with the Rangers, lowering his ERA from 4.01 to 3.55 in his five starts with his new ballclub. It seems like Scherzer is in playoff mode; that’s not a guy I want to be fading.
The Astros opened up the betting favorite in tonight’s series finale before sharps streamed Scherzer and the Rangers to (-135) on the moneyline. It’s an interesting line move, to say the least, considering Houston has pummeled Texas the last two nights, and less than 40% of bets are currently backing the home team (per VSIN). Fade the Astros in this series finale, and back Mad Max to do what he’s done his entire career—win in the biggest of moments.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Pick
TEX ML -135 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
MLB Odds
