Rangers vs. Astros Monday ALCS Game 2 probable pitchers, odds, props: Heavy action on Texas to stay unbeaten in 2023 postseason behind Nathan Eovaldi

The Texas Rangers have played just one home game in this postseason, the lone time they've been favored in the playoffs. Yet here they are, 6-0 in playoff action and up 1-0 in the ALCS over the rival Astros with Game 2 this afternoon in Houston. Behind Nathan Eovaldi, Texas is taking heavy action as a short money line dog. Teams that hit more homers than the opposition in a game are 15-1 in these playoffs after the Rangers' Game 1 win. Click here for model picks.

At BetMGM, Houston is a -120 favorite but taking just 41% of the bets and 44% of the money. Normally, that would be unthinkable for the Astros at Minute Maid Park, but they are 7-19 in their past 26 at home since Aug. 13. Texas has outscored its opponents 34-12 so far this postseason.

On the total of 8.5 runs, 74% of the bets and 67% of the money are on the Under. At +1.5 (-200) on the run line, the Rangers are taking 31% of the bets and 34% of the money. Bettors largely are on either Texas to win outright or Houston to win by at least two runs.

The Rangers' six-game postseason winning streak is the longest in franchise history and the third-longest to open a postseason in AL history. The 2014 Royals hold the mark of eight and the 2022 Astros won their first seven. Texas is the first team to win each of its first five road games in a postseason since the 2018 Red Sox.

Eovaldi takes the hill this afternoon. He badly struggled the final month of the regular season but is 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two starts in these playoffs, and 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA in eight career postseason starts. He was 1-1 with a 4.44 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Astros. Eovaldi is set at over/under 2.5 earned runs, 4.5 strikeouts, and 14.5 outs recorded. The right-hander is +220 to record a win. 

Texas hasn't won consecutive games at Minute Maid Park since 2019, going 8-32 in Houston since May 9, 2019, through the end of this regular season. 

It's lefty Framber Valdez for Houston, which had a seven-game ALCS winning streak snapped in the opener. Valdez wasn't great in his 2023 postseason debut, allowing five runs over 4.1 innings on Oct. 8 vs. the Twins. Valdez is 6-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 11 career postseason starts but 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA in five career ALCS starts. The southpaw was 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three games this year against Texas. Valdez is set at O/U 2.5 earned runs, 4.5 strikeouts and 14.5 outs recorded. He's +270 for a win -- interesting that he has longer odds than Eovaldi to win, even though Houston is favored. 

On the updated series line, Texas is -170 and Houston is +145. In best-of-seven postseason series, teams that won Game 1 have gone on to win the series 121 of 188 times (64%). In series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams taking a 1-0 lead on the road have gone on to win the series 39 of 70 times (56%).

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