The Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros clash Monday in game 1 of an MLB series at Minute Maid Park. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
Baltimore Orioles Betting Preview
The Orioles need a win after losing 5 of their last 8 games. The Orioles have a 2 game lead in the AL East. The Orioles pitching staff is 11th in ERA (4.02), 11th in WHIP (1.26) and 9th in quality starts (63). The Orioles' offense is 6th in runs per game (5.09), 9th in batting average (.257) and 17th in homers (175). Adley Rutschman leads the Orioles with 148 hits and 73 RBI, while Austin Hays and Anthony Santander have combined for 274 hits and 146 RBI. John Means gets the ball, and he is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 1 strikeout this season. This will be Means’ first career game against the Astros.
Baltimore Orioles Team Facts
The Orioles have won each of their last eight Monday games as road underdogs.
The Orioles have covered the run line in each of their last 10 night games against the Astros following a win.
The Orioles have led after 3 innings in each of their last five Monday night games as underdogs.
The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Orioles' last four games as road underdogs.
The Orioles have led after 5 innings in each of their last six games against AL West opponents.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Astros look for a win after splitting their last 10 games. The Astros have a 1.5 game lead in the AL West. The Astros pitching staff is 9th in ERA (3.97), 16th in WHIP (1.29) and 5th in quality starts (66). The Astros offense is 5th in runs per game (5.17), 4th in batting average (.262) and 8th in homers (206). Alex Bregman leads the Astros with 155 hits and 95 RBI, while Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Pena have combined for 290 hits and 154 RBI. Justin Verlander gets the ball, and he is 11-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 126 strikeouts this season. Verlander is 10-6 with a 3.62 ERA and 157 strikeouts in his career against the Orioles.
Houston Astros Team Facts
The Astros have lost each of their last four games as home favorites against American League opponents following a road win.
The Astros have covered the run line each of their last six games against teams that held a winning record.
The Astros have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games as home favorites against AL East opponents.
The Astros have trailed after 5 innings in three of their last four games as home favorites against AL East opponents.
The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the last three games between the Orioles and Astros.
Matchup/League Facts
The Houston Astros rank 3rd in the league for strikeouts against this season (1148).
The Houston Astros rank 4th in the league for hits this season (1339).
The Baltimore Orioles rank 3rd in the league for doubles this season (285).
The Baltimore Orioles rank 6th in the league for runs scored this season (758).
Randy’s Pick
Massive series for two teams fighting for division titles. The difference in this spot is the Astros are at home, and they have Justin Verlander on the mound, a pitcher who has come through in big moments time and time again in his career. John Means has just 5 innings under his belt this season, and he's pitched a combined 13 innings the last two seasons. This is a spot the Astros should win with their veteran ace on the hill. Means is just impossible to get behind given the lack of pitching these last two seasons.
