The Houston Astros will be facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. ATTSN Southwest will be airing this AL showdown and the action gets underway at 1:10 p.m. ET.
Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays Odds
Houston (-155) is entering this one as the favorite over Tampa Bay (+145) and Vegas has set the Over/Under for this day game at 7 runs (+100 for the over and -120 for the under). The game’s runline odds stand at -110 for picking the Astros -1.5 runs and -110 for the Rays +1.5 runs.
The Astros have gone 55-30 SU this year and are 45-39 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 4.6 units for moneyline gamblers and 2.7 units ATS. Houston has covered the spread just twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven. The Rays, on the other hand, are 41-41 SU and 47-34 ATS. The team has gained 5.2 units for moneyline bettors and 12.8 units ATS. Tampa Bay has covered the spread in each of its last seven games and the under has cashed in five of those seven.
Rays games have had an over/under record of 34-45-2 so far in 2018. Houston has an over/under record of 38-42-4.
The right-handed Charlie Morton will get the start for the visiting Astros. Morton is 10-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 122 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with four strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA against Tampa Bay this year.
The Rays are handing the ball to lefty Blake Snell (10-4, 2.31 ERA), who has 113 strikeouts and 40 walks, as well as a 1.04 WHIP. Snell is 1-0 with six strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA in one start against Houston this year.
As a unit, Tampa Bay’s pitchers have allowed 3.9 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starters have an ERA of 3.83, a WHIP of 1.17 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.5. The bullpen has a 3.45 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 8.2 K/9.
The Tampa Bay offense has put up 3.9 runs per contest, including 3.6 per game over its last 10 games and 4.0 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .244/.333/.321 over its last five contests and is 4-1 SU during that span.
The Rays’ batters have been led by third baseman Matt Duffy and catcher Wilson Ramos. Duffy is hitting .322/.367/.433 with four home runs, 23 RBIs and 24 runs scored, while the line for Ramos stands at .291/.338/.461 with 11 homers, 43 RBIs and 24 runs scored.
In the visiting dugout, Houston’s pitchers have allowed 3.1 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 2.96 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10.25 K/9. The bullpen has logged an outstanding ERA of just 2.55, along with a WHIP of 1.07 and a K/9 of 10.85.
The Astros offense has slashed .263/.337/.435 on its way to 5.1 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.2 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 3.8 per game over the team’s last five outings (3-2 SU).
Houston’s hitters have been paced by second baseman Jose Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman, who have combined to belt 23 home runs. Altuve is hitting .342/.407/.483 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, 55 runs and 12 stolen bases, while Bregman is hitting .277/.377/.519 with 16 homers, 53 RBIs and 52 runs scored.
The Astros have lost 7.0 units and are 15-16 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in 14 of those games, as opposed to 16 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Rays have lost 1.9 units and are 29-25 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 25 of those games, compared to 28 that’ve gone under.
Houston Astros at Tampa Bay Rays Free MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Astros, O/U – UNDER
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Notes
Betting Notes
The over has cashed in just two of Tampa Bay’s last seven games.
The Rays have won seven of their last eight games SU.
Tampa Bay has posted 19.4 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 19.2 over its last five.
The Astros have hit 15 home runs in their last 10 games. The Rays have hit seven over their last 10.
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