Sunday brings plenty of NFL action for the gamblers out there, but they shouldn't forget about ALCS Game 6 and little ol' me, consider the heater I've been on here in the MLB playoffs. After a subpar 1-1 day for Game 5 of the NLCS, the record is damaged a bit, but still a robust 29-12.
How about a 2-0 day? Let's do it.
Rangers (+130) at Astros (-155), 8:03 p.m. ET
Starting pitchers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63; 3-0, 2.29) vs. LHP Framber Valdez (12-11, 3.45; 0-2, 11.57)
We've got to discuss this again, don't we? Let's just lay it out:
- The Astros are now 56-30 on the road this season, including the playoffs. They are 40-45 at home.
- The Rangers have gone 6-1 on the road this postseason and 1-3 at home.
- The road team has won every game this series.
- The Astros went 8-1 in Globe Life Park (Texas) this season, but the Rangers have gone 5-3 in Minute Maid Park (Houston).
Valdez has gotten in on the action of forgetting how to play well at home. He threw a no-hitter on Aug. 1, but in his five home starts since then, he has an 8.88 ERA and two of those starts were against the A's and Royals. Maybe the Rangers can bust through with another early lead?
Eovaldi was brutal in September, but he's been great in his three playoff starts. The Astros did rally twice later in Game 2 against him and Rangers manager Bruce Bochy let him work through it. Can the Astros get the big home hit this time?
The play: Jose Altuve over 1.5 H+R+RBI (-120) and Adolis García over 1.5 H+R+RBI (-125)
Altuve just went 6 for 14 (.429) with two doubles and two homers in Arlington, including a series-changing three-run blast in the ninth in Game 5. He has absurd splits this season, so the return home should scare me, but I have a feeling. Plus, he went 3 for 8 with a home run in the first two games of the playoffs in Minute Maid, so it's not like he's completely hapless.
Speaking of having a feeling, I'm riding with García. He's homered in the past two games and he'll be extra fired up here after the late-inning ejection in Game 5. He had an RBI single in Game 2 against Valdez and that's all we'd need on this prop.
I wouldn't mind a little sprinkle on the home run prop for either of these guys. I'm envisioning the involvement of the Crawford Boxes.
