This is an 8* TOTAL on the UNDER Astros/Rangers.

We're expecting a tight, lower-scoring battle between the Astros and Rangers on Monday night.

Houston hands the ball to Christian Javier, who is 3-3 with a 3.22 ERA, and the Rangers counter with Taylor Hearn, who is 4-4 with a 5.40 ERA.

The Astros are off a 9-4 win over Miami yesterday, but previous to that they'd lost three in a row.

They'll be feeling confident though that they'll be able to string a couple wins in a row here facing the Rangers, as note that Javier is 4-1 all times vs. Texas, posting a 2.74 ERA over ten appearances, including six starts.

The Rangers rallied late and managed an 8-6 win at the White Sox last night. I unfortunatley had a play on the UNDER in that one, and it looked great for about 8.5 innings.

But where that play failed, I expect today's to succeed. Hearn's actually fared well against Houston, going 2-2 with a 3.62 ERA in nine games against it.

All signs point to this one staying UNDER the posted number.

Good luck, NP