The Astros opened the series with a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. The Rays battled back from an early 3-0 deficit only to lose the game on a Jake Meyers' home run in the seventh inning. Josh Hader closed the game in the ninth for his 12th save of the season.

Get the best Astros vs. Rangers predictions ahead of Sunday's AL West showdown. Free MLB picks and predictions for May 18.

Not winning at home might come back to haunt the Rays. They have played 29 home games this season, the most of all MLB teams. Tampa Bay will play 14 of its next 18 games at home (with a four-game road series in Houston in the mix here, too).

The Astros pulled off perhaps their biggest win of the season on Sunday afternoon, and manager Joe Espada was stuck watching it from his office inside Globe Life Field after being ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes.

Ryan Gusto will start on Monday against Kansas City and Colton Gordon could be called up to start Wednesday if needed.

It seems clear that the Houston Astros will have to add pieces ahead of the trade deadline if they're truly going to contend this year. After a winter where the

Framber Valdez (1-4, 4.39 ERA, 37 strikeouts) vs. Quinn Priester (1-0, 5.79 ERA, 17 strikeouts) Framber Valdez was 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts in 176.1 innings last year. Last Start: Five innings, seven hits, four earned runs, two walks, and six strikeouts.

The Texas Rangers (24-21) host the Houston Astros (22-21) for the second game of their 4-game series Friday. First pitch from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, is set for 8:05 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Astros vs. Rangers odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

MLB player prop bets and odds for Vincent Joseph Pasquantino on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, as the Kansas City Royals take on the Houston Astros.

This season, the AL West is as wide open as it has been in recent memory, with no team having a clear advantage over the others. The Angels, after a strong start, have fallen back from the rest of the group.

Remarkably, the Houston Astros have come through the first several weeks of the 2025 season with a winning record despite the odds stacked against them.