The red-hot Tampa Bay Rays are seeking their sixth straight win as they play host to the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field. ATTSN Southwest will televise this AL matchup and the game is scheduled to get underway at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Houston Astros at Tampa Bay Rays Odds
Tampa Bay (+170) is the home-team underdog to Houston (-180) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under for this night game at 7.5 runs (-110 for the under and -110 for the over). Bettors can also wager on the game’s runline with the current odds coming in at Astros -1.5 runs (-125) and Rays +1.5 runs (+105).
The Astros have gone 54-28 SU this year and are 45-36 against the spread (ATS). They’ve gained 4.3 units for moneyline gamblers and 6.0 units ATS. Houston is 3-4 ATS over its last seven games and the under has hit in five of those seven. The Rays, on the other hand, are 39-40 SU and 45-34 ATS. They’ve gained 4.5 units for moneyline bettors and 10.8 units ATS. Tampa Bay has covered the spread six times in its last seven games and the under has cashed in five of those seven.
Tampa Bay games have an over/under record of 34-43-2 thus far in 2018. Houston has an over/under record of 37-40-4.
Lance McCullers Jr. will get the nod for the Stros. The right-handed McCullers Jr. (8-3, 3.82 ERA) has racked up 99 punchouts in 94.1 innings so far. He has yet to face the Rays this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Rays are putting the ball in the hands of righty Ryne Stanek (1-1, 1.99 ERA), who’s got 25 strikeouts and 11 walks to his name, as well as a WHIP of 0.93. Stanek is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one start against Houston this year.
As a unit, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has allowed 3.9 runs per game overall in 2018. The club’s starting pitching staff has an ERA of 3.89, a WHIP of 1.18 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.5. The bullpen has a 3.56 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 8.3 K/9.
Tampa Bay’s offense is putting up 3.9 runs per contest, including 3.6 per game over its last 10 games and 5.0 per game over its last five. The team has slashed .269/.356/.450 over its last five matchups and is 5-0 SU during that stretch.
The Rays’ batters have been led by third baseman Matt Duffy and catcher Wilson Ramos. Duffy is hitting .317/.364/.434 with four home runs, 23 RBIs and 22 runs scored, while Ramos is hitting .292 with 11 homers, 39 RBIs and 24 runs.
In the other dugout, Houston’s pitchers have allowed 3.1 runs per game and its starters own a 2.96 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 10.25 K/9. The bullpen has an outstanding ERA of just 2.63, along with a WHIP of 1.06.
The Astros offense has slashed .266/.340/.440 on its way to 5.2 runs scored per game in 2018, including 5.0 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 6.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (4-1 SU).
Houston’s hitters have been paced by second baseman Jose Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman, who have combined to drive in 90 runs. Altuve is slashing .345/.409/.491 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, 55 runs and 12 stolen bases, while Bregman is hitting .277/.379/.508 with 14 homers, 49 RBIs, 50 runs and seven stolen bases.
The Astros have gained 11.3 units and are 30-20 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has cashed in 23 of those games, compared to 24 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Rays have lost 2.5 units and are 27-25 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has hit in 25 of those games, compared to 26 that’ve gone under.
Houston Astros at Tampa Bay Rays MLB Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Astros, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Notes
The under has hit in five of Tampa Bay’s last seven games.
The Astros have hit 13 home runs in their last 10 games, including eight over their last five.
Tampa Bay has recorded 19.2 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 games and 23.4 over its last five.
The Astros have won four of their last five games SU.
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