DeAndre Hopkins and the Texans take over the top spot. Zach Tarrant/Houstontexans.com
I really enjoyed rankings teams last week so I want to stay focused on this for a while and see how many weeks I can rank teams before I lose interest. With that being said, let’s jump right into it!
Houston Texans (Previous week ranking 1): They lead the division and continue to win. I know the first three wins of this streak felt gifted, but this one against the Broncos did not to me. The Broncos were in desperate need of a win and the Texans had just enough to pull it off. The offense could have been better in the second half, but the defense did its job and limited points. I count this as a legit win even though it took a missed FG to pull it off.
San Antonio Spurs (Previous week ranking 6): With everyone ahead of them losing since the last time I opened up Google Docs and with them being the only team to be above 500 in the Southwest, the Spurs by default move up to number 2 in the rankings.
Texas Longhorns (Previous week ranking 3): OMG DOES DANA NOT UNDERSTAND THAT HE SHOULDN’T BE GOING FOR 2 WHEN YOU CAN PLAY FOR OVERTIME?!?! Ugh, what a call. I was in Austin for the game and saw my beloved Horns fall to friend of the show Dana Holgerson. Sam Ehlinger balled out, but the defense didn’t help him out. Tough loss for the Horns, but it was at least a tough fight.
Houston Rockets (Previous week ranking 8): Carmelo Anthony did the damn thing on Friday night against the Nets. He provided another scoring threat and played some great defense in the fourth. Props to him.
Texas A&M (Previous week ranking 5): The hardest thing to do in the SEC is win games because they just mean so much more according to the conference and the Aggies learned a valuable lesson on finishing out games. Tough loss, but a lot of good can be taken away from this loss.
Houston Cougars (Previous week ranking 2): Guess that Texas Tech loss won’t hurt as much anymore now that SMU is a thing. Something about that pesky SMU squad that the Cougars can’t overcome on the road.
Dallas Mavericks (Previous week ranking 7): They are 2-7 now. They didn’t win a game all week. Blessings to them.
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Previous week ranking: unranked): OK, Fayetteville isn’t in Texas, but they are the Houston Astros Class A Advanced team affiliate and they automatically are better than the Cowboys because of how awesome their mascot looks.
Dallas Cowboys (Previous week ranking 11): The only reason the Cowboys moved up two spots is because I ran out of teams to put ahead of them. LOLOLOLOL the Cowboys.
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Here's what Nick Chubb noticed about the Houston Texans from afar
Jun 11, 2025, 5:11 pm
The Houston Astros return to action Wednesday night with a chance to get back on track and even their three-game set against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
White Sox continue to have Houston's number
After falling 4–2 in Tuesday’s opener, the Astros now trail the season series 3–1 and will turn to Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in hopes of steadying the ship and reinforcing their grip on first place in the AL West.
Houston enters the matchup at 36–30 overall and 22–13 at home, a mark that reflects just how comfortable they've been playing in front of their fans. Though the offense has been inconsistent at times, the Astros are an impressive 19–4 when they manage to keep the ball in the yard — a stat that will be key with Gusto on the mound. The young right-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he'll be tasked with limiting a White Sox offense that did just enough to sneak away with a win in the opener.
Chicago, meanwhile, continues to play with a bit of unexpected edge despite sitting in last place in the AL Central. At 23–44, the White Sox have struggled most of the season — particularly on the road, where they’re just 7–26. Still, they've now won four of their last five games and will hand the ball to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA), a righty who’s shown flashes of command and competitiveness in his rookie campaign.
The Astros will once again lean on their veterans to lead the way at the plate. Jose Altuve continues to be a consistent presence at the top of the lineup with nine home runs and 24 RBIs on the year. Yainer Diaz, who’s 10-for-39 with three home runs over his last 10 games, has started to find his swing again and could be a factor in the middle of the order. Houston will need more of that timely hitting if they want to avoid dropping their second straight at home — something that hasn’t happened often this year.
On the other side, Chase Meidroth has quietly become one of Chicago’s more reliable bats. Hitting .293 with five doubles and a pair of homers, Meidroth’s emergence adds some much-needed spark to a lineup that’s lacked consistency. Andrew Benintendi, hitting .257 over his last 10 games with four doubles, has also begun to warm up at the plate.
Both teams come in with nearly identical offensive production over their last 10 games — the Astros hitting .227 to the White Sox’s .226 — but Houston holds the edge in ERA at 3.44 compared to Chicago’s 4.04. That said, the Astros have been outscored by five runs over that stretch, and will need to clean up a few things on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into a mini-slide during this six-game homestand.
First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET from Daikin Park, with Houston looking to reassert itself against a team it hasn’t solved yet this season. A win would not only even the series — it would also be a reminder that the Astros remain very much in control of their own narrative heading into the summer grind.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -181, White Sox +150; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.
Here's an early look at Houston's lineup for Game 2
Wednesday night matchup.
⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/UGNXjvgdC6
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 11, 2025
Jacob Melton is hitting last and remains the left fielder with Altuve back at second base. Diaz is once again in the cleanup spot as Walker is hitting fifth. Victor Caratini will hit behind Walker and serve as the DH. Otherwise, a pretty typical lineup for Joe Espada's club.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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