The Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays meet Saturday in MLB action at Tropicana Field. Here’s a Rays vs. Astros Prediction. This article will include a Rays vs Astros Pick.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Houston Astros are 75-73 on the year and play the Royals and Braves next. The Houston Astros are batting .241 on the season, have a .315 OBP, and have a .410 slugging percentage. The Houston Astros’ pitching staff has a 4.52 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Yordan Alvarez leads the Houston Astros with 162 hits and 96 RBI, while Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker have combined for 251 hits and 162 RBI.
Peter Lambert gets the ball for the Houston Astros, and he is 8-8 with a 3.67 ERA and 137 strikeouts this season. Lambert is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his career against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Rays are 88-59 on the year and play the Red Sox and Athletics next. The Tampa Bay Rays are batting .260 on the season, have a .329 OBP, and have a .404 slugging percentage. The Tampa Bay Rays’ pitching staff has a 3.81 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Yandy Diaz leads the Tampa Bay Rays with 171 hits and 80 RBI, while Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero have combined for 316 hits and 124 RBI.
Ian Seymour gets the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays, and he is 9-6 with a 4.33 ERA and 140 strikeouts this season. This will be Seymour’s first career game against the Houston Astros.
Why the Tampa Bay Rays will win
- The Rays have won eight of their last nine night games against AL West opponents.
- The Astros have lost four of their last five games after playing the previous day.
- The Rays have covered the run line in eight of their last nine night games against AL West opponents.
- The Astros have failed to cover the run line in each of their last three games at Tropicana Field.
- The Rays have led after 3 innings in three of their last four night games.
- The Rays have led after 5 innings in four of their last five night games.
Why the Houston Astros will win
- The Astros have won each of their last seven games as road underdogs against AL opponents following a loss.
- The Rays have lost each of their last five games as home favorites against AL opponents following a win.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 11 games following a home win.
- The Astros have covered the run line in each of their last 11 games as road underdogs against AL opponents following a road loss.
- The Astros have won the first inning in each of their last five Saturday games as road underdogs against AL East opponents.
- The Rays have trailed after 3 innings in nine of their last 10 Saturday games against AL West opponents that held a winning record.
- The Astros have led after 5 innings in five of their last six games at Tropicana Field.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the last six games between the Astros and Rays at Tropicana Field have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Each of the Astros’ last six games as underdogs against the Rays have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in each of the Astros’ last 10 night games.
- There has been no run scored during the first inning in each of Ian Seymour’s last five home appearances as a starter.
Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts
- Ian Seymour has recorded eight or more strikeouts in each of his last three home appearances.
- Victor Mesa Jr. has hit a home run in each of the Rays’ last three games.
- Nick Madrigal has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with his team as a favorite against AL West opponents.
- Ian Seymour has recorded a win in each of his last three appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
Houston Astros Player Prop Facts
- Peter Lambert has recorded five or more strikeouts in eight of his last nine appearances against AL opponents.
- Cam Smith has hit a home run in three of the Astros’ last four games.
- Jeremy Pena has recorded at least one hit in each of the Astros’ last nine games at Tropicana Field.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Rays rank 1st in the league for batting average this season (.260).
- The Rays rank 1st in the league for strikeouts against this season (1022).
- The Astros rank 30th in the league for steals this season (45).
- The Astros rank 29th in the league for walks allowed this season (598).
Rays vs Astros Prediction
The Astros and the plus money are attractive when you consider they’re chasing a division title, and Lambert has arguably been better than Seymour this season. However, I’m on the Rays again for the same reason I was yesterday. The Rays are not only too consistent to bet against at cheap prices, but they’ve been even better at home. The Rays are 23 games above a .500 record at home. It’s impressive, and the Rays are never getting inflated prices. Give me the Rays.