Preview and prediction for Game 7 of the ALCS

At the outset of the season, perhaps only the Texas Rangers' players and fans thought that they could possibly reach the World Series.

Okay, maybe we're exaggerating that. After all, they have spent quite a few dollars in the last couple of years on major upgrades. For example, they brought in Corey Seager, star shortstop of the Dodgers, and he has turned out to be an MVP candidate. And we can only imagine how formidable the rotation would have been with a healthy Jacob deGrom.

So here they are, in a situation where it's a one-off for that World Series berth, and they have one of the greatest pitchers of this generation taking the mound.

And suddenly, this sounds like a story we were telling just five days ago.

Max Scherzer has had a career that will unquestionably land him in Cooperstown. But you can't help but have a lot of concerns about him as he toes the rubber for Monday night's ALCS Game 7 at Minute Maid Park (8:07 PM ET).

In the MLB playoff betting odds posted on this game at BetOnline, the Astros are favored at home:

Houston Astros (Javier - R)     -123
Texas Rangers (Scherzer - R) +113

Over 9 Runs -108
Under 9 Runs -112

Astros -1.5 Runs +161
Rangers +1.5 Runs -181

Scherzer had to sit down for a month with a shoulder injury, and we were questioning whether he was being rushed back when the Rangers posted him as the Game 4 starter. But, Texas does not have a rock solid rotation beyond Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery. And manager Bruce Bochy put him through 69 pitchers against live batters in a simulated game in preparation for his return.

Things didn't go well. The Rangers were hoping to get around 70 pitches out of Scherzer. They got 63, but he didn't get enough hitters out. Five runs on five hits in four innings, before being yanked. It was not pretty. On the plus side, he did record four strikeouts with only a single walk. But in his last seven innings pitching against the Astros, he's allowed twelve earned runs.

So he's going to have to show that he's got some form AND he can get these Houston hitters out. Michael Brantley is the Scherzer-killer, as he's hit .367 with three homers against him lifetime. Meanwhile, Jose Altuve, who hit the big homer to propel Houston to a wild Game 5 victory, is 2-for-20 against Scherzer.

What can you say about Cristian Javier? In his last 16-2/3 innings of work, he has given up seven hits. For a five or six-inning stint, he can throw some dynamite out there. He has now yielded just 18 hits in 43 innings in postseason play, with an ERA of 2.06 and a WHIP ratio of 0.923.

Yes, we understand the "trends." We understand that the road team has won every game in this series, and that all told, Houston is just 40-46 at Minute Maid Park. But in this one-off, they have some guys out there in the bullpen who are lookimg for redemption. And as we've said - but hate to say - we can't trust Scherzer here. So we go with the Astros in the five-inning prop and the "whole game."

Enjoy the excitement of Game 7 of the ALCS at BetOnline, where you can not only bet on props you could possibly want, you can place wagers even after the game starts with Live Betting........Don't be squeamish - it's very easy to get in on the action. Just use your credit card, or take advantage of over a dozen different crypto options, including Bitcoin!