There are multiple games tonight on the American League schedule, and there’s value to be found. Below, you can find our AL best bets from FanDuel Sportsbook.Houston Astros (-176) vs. Texas Rangers (+148) Total: 7.5 (O-115, U-105)
The Houston Astros are set to visit the Texas Rangers for a mini two-game series beginning tonight from Globe Life Field. The Astros enter after losing two-of-three games to the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend, while the Rangers also dropped two-of-three games to the Detroit Tigers. Even with their series loss, the Astros still hold a commanding 11.5-game lead atop the AL West while also owning a four-game lead over the New York Yankees for the top seed in the American League.
The Astros have dominated the season series with Texas, winning 10-of-14 games between these two rivals which should set them up nicely for their second last series of the year. Houston has been playing some solid baseball of late, owning a 6-4 record over their last ten games, while the Rangers are also 6-4 over that same stretch of games.
Pitching has been a big asset for the Astros in 2022, while the Rangers have struggled from that standpoint, and it’s not difficult to see that continuing here tonight. The visiting Astros are expected to send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound, while the Rangers will be countering with right-hander Dane Dunning. Valdez won’t be winning the AL Cy Young, but he’s been in the conversation and holds a 13-4 record, paired with a 2.65 ERA and 142 strikeouts. Dunning is 3-6 with a 4.19 ERA and 112 strikeouts.
What’s clear about this matchup is that the Astros should have the advantage on the mound and can make life difficult on Rangers hitters. The Astros are sizable road favorites on the moneyline tonight at -176, and there’s really no value in considering that price point.
With that, Houston is still the side in this ball game you should be gravitating towards. Valdez has made three flawless starts against the Rangers this year, owning a 2-0 record with a sparkling 0.45 ERA and 20 strikeouts. Those numbers should continue playing well tonight on the road. Targeting the Astros on the run line is a play with some value on this slate of games at -110.
Best Bet: Astros run line (-110)
Kansas City Royals (+118) vs. Chicago White Sox (-138) Total: 7.5 (O-118, U-104)The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox will kick off a three-game series tonight from Guaranteed Rate Field. The Royals enter this matchup after dropping two-of-three games to the San Diego Padres over the weekend, while the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the White Sox in a three-game series.
Things haven’t been going well for the White Sox of late, and they’ve now lost four straight games and have a 2-8 record over their past ten, compared to the Royals 4-6 record over that same sample size. The difference is that the White Sox had much more to play for, but they’ve now fallen five games back in the AL Central and 6.5 games behind in the AL wild-card race. This doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence in them here tonight, especially where they’ve been so poor as the home team and posted a 30-34 record.
The back end of the White Sox rotation has been a problem this year and even with the potential their starter tonight has, he’s been a big reason why the team hasn’t been able to find consistent success. The Royals are expected to send right-hander Brady Singer to the bump, while the White Sox will be countering with Lucas Giolito. Singer has been very good for Kansas City, posting a 7-4 record, paired with a 3.15 ERA and 120 strikeouts, while Giolito is 10-7 with a 5.14 ERA and 135 punchouts. The advantage should be clear here for the Royals as Singer has continued to improve on the mound as the year has progressed and should be a solid building block for the future of their overall rotation.
The White Sox certainly need to win this game and the series if they have hopes of staying alive in the playoff race, but with the value the Royals are presenting tonight, it’s hard to pass them up. Visiting KC currently owns odds of +118 on the moneyline tonight, and that’s an appetizing price that warrants bettors’ attention.
Best Bet: Royals moneyline (+118)
