HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros open a critical three-game series at Daikin Park on Monday night, a late-season clash between American League West rivals with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

The Astros (81-69) enter the series holding a slim two-game advantage over the Rangers (79-71) in the divisional standings, adding significant weight to each contest. The season series has been tightly contested, with the Rangers holding a 6-4 edge in the last 10 meetings, including a 4-2 victory in their most recent matchup on Sept. 7.

Both teams are looking to rebound from losses on Sunday. Texas fell 5-2 to the New York Mets despite a strong relief effort from Jacob Webb and Robert Garcia, who combined for two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Houston was routed 8-3 by the Atlanta Braves, though outfielder Cam Smith provided a bright spot with a home run.

The Rangers have won seven of their last 10 games, including a series win over the Mets prior to Sunday’s defeat. The Astros have been more inconsistent, going 5-5 over their last 10, but are coming off a series win in Atlanta.

Projections for the opener are split. Interstat’s game simulator forecasts a high-scoring 6-5 victory for the Rangers, while its ELO rating system gives the Astros a slight 51.4% probability to win. Betting markets favor Houston as a -1.5 run favorite, with an over/under set at 8.5 runs.

Following this series, both teams have challenging schedules to close the regular season. Texas returns home to host the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins before finishing on the road against the Cleveland Guardians. Houston will host the Seattle Mariners before embarking on a West Coast road trip to face the Athletics and Los Angeles Angels.

First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT.