In this article we will formulate an Astros vs Cardinals prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, April 18th at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Houston Astros are 8-13 this year after they lost game one in this series by a score of 9-4 on Friday. Houston cut the deficit to 4-3 in the fifth inning, but they allowed the next five runs in the loss. The Astros recorded eight hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Altuve, Alvarez, and Vazquez, who all had sole home runs. Lambert allowed seven hits and four earned runs over 5.0 innings for the loss, while Abreu allowed three earned runs in relief. Prior to this series, Houston won two out of three against the Rockies, but lost all four against the Mariners before that.
This season, Houston has a 6.15 ERA with a 1.67 WHIP and a .267 opponent batting average, while they have scored 111 runs with a .262 batting average and a .353 on base percentage. Yordan Alvarez has led the Astros with eight home runs and 19 RBIs, while Christian Walker has added four home runs and 16 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for Houston is Lance McCullers Jr, who is 1-0 with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 15.1 innings pitched this year.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals are 11-8 this season after they won game one by a score of 9-4 last night. St. Louis led 3-0 in the third inning and they never looked back in the relatively easy win. The Cardinals recorded 10 hits and they committed two errors, while they were led by Herrera and Gorman, who both had three RBIs in the game. Leahy allowed five hits and three earned runs over 5.0 innings for the win, while Stanek allowed one earned run in relief. Prior to this series, St. Louis won two out of three against the Guardians, but lost two out of three against the Red Sox before that.
This season, St. Louis has a 4.89 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP and a .262 opponent batting average, while they have scored 89 runs with a .233 batting average and a .329 on base percentage. Jordan Walker has led the Cardinals with eight home runs and 16 RBIs, while Alec Burleson has added two home runs and 14 RBIs. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Andre Pallante, who is 1-1 with a 4.80 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP over 15.0 innings pitched this season.
Why the Houston Astros will win
- The Cardinals have lost each of their last five games against AL West opponents following a road win.
- The home team has won 16 of the Astros’ last 19 games.
- The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games against AL West opponents following a road win.
- The Astros have covered the run line in five of their last six games against NL Central opponents following a loss.
- The Astros have led after 3 innings in five of their last six home games against National League opponents.
- The Cardinals have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five road games against American League opponents that held a losing record.
Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win
- The Cardinals have won four of their last five games as underdogs against the Astros.
- The Astros have lost four of their last five games as favorites following a loss.
- The Astros have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine games as favorites.
- The Cardinals have covered the run line in four of their last five games against the Astros.
- The Astros have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last six night games against opponents that held a winning record.
- The Astros have lost the first inning in seven of their last nine games.
- The Astros have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last six night games against opponents that held a winning record.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Cardinals’ last five games as underdogs have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Each of the Astros’ last four night games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Astros’ last nine games.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last five games.
Houston Astros Player Prop Facts
- Jose Altuve has hit at least one home run in four of the Astros’ last five games against NL opponents that held a winning record.
- Yordan Alvarez has recorded at least one hit in each of the Astros’ last 10 home games.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts
- Alec Burleson has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 road appearances against AL opponents that held a losing record.
- Nolan Gorman has hit at least one home run in three of the Cardinals’ last four road games against the Astros.
Astros vs Cardinals Prediction
St. Louis comes into this matchup on a three game winning streak and they have scored 20 runs during that span. The Cardinals are 4-3 on the road this year, while the Astros are 7-4 at home. Houston continues to get very poor pitching and they have one of the highest team ERA’s in the MLB. I don’t like either starter in this matchup, but with Houston struggling to get outs, I will take the Cardinals on the road.