The Arizona Diamondbacks (79-64) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (77-65) on Sunday, September 8th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on ESPN. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Diamondbacks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Astros. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.

Diamondbacks vs. Astros Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Astros (-148)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs

• In their last 15 games, the Astros have a record of 9-6, indicating strong recent performance.
• The Astros have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game in their last 15 games, showcasing their offensive strength.
• In their last 6 home games, the Astros are undefeated with a 6-0 record, demonstrating a strong home-field advantage.
• The Astros have outscored the Diamondbacks 19-5 in their last two head-to-head matchups, both of which were home games for the Astros.
• The Astros have a higher league rank (5th) compared to the Diamondbacks (27th), indicating overall better performance throughout the season.

Diamondbacks vs Astros

Houston cruised to an easy 11-5 win over the Diamondbacks in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 2nd inning, scoring four of their eleven runs. As for the Diamondbacks, they scored their first run in the 4th and added their final four runs in the 6th.

Yusei Kikuchi only went six innings for the Astros but gave up just two earned runs and picked up a win. Eduardo Rodriguez had a rough outing for the Diamondbacks, taking the loss after going just four innings and giving up four earned runs.

Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena each homered for the Astros, while Yordan Alvarez went 3/5 with two RBIs. Chas McCormick also had a two-hit game and drove in two runs.

Arizona’s over/under record is 82-54 this season, with their games averaging 10.2 runs per game. The Diamondbacks are 74-69 against the run line, and as underdogs, they have a 44-28 run line record. Their average run margin in winning games is +4.1, but it drops to -3.8 in losses.

On the road, the Diamondbacks have a 40-33 record and they are 27-24 as underdogs. Overall, they are 79-64, which puts them 6.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Arizona has lost three straight games and they are looking to avoid a fourth consecutive loss today against the Astros.

Ryne Nelson Gets The Start For The Diamondbacks

Ryne Nelson is looking to build off his last outing, where he faced the Giants and picked up the win. In that September 3rd outing, he went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and he finished with nine strikeouts. Looking back over his last four outings, Nelson has given up two earned runs in three of them. He has made 24 starts this year, along with 12 quality starts. Nelson’s ERA for the season is 4.15, along with a record of 10-6. For the year, he has allowed 16 homers and is averaging 7.62 strikeouts per nine innings.

Diamondbacks Offense Breakdown

Arizona has been the best offensive team in the league this season, averaging 5.4 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.6 runs per contest. The Diamondbacks have been one of the league’s top home run hitting teams and are also batting .261 as a team, which is the 2nd best mark in the league.

Ketel Marte and Eugenio Suarez have been the team’s top power threats this season, with Marte leading the team with 30 homers and Suarez right behind him with 25. Suarez has also been hot of late, going 12/35 with five homers over his last 10 games. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been a solid run producer for the Diamondbacks this season, as his 70 RBIs are 4th in the league.

Through 142 games, the Astros have a 77-65 record and lead the AL West by 5.5 games over the Mariners. They have won two straight games and are currently on a six-game winning streak at home. As underdogs, they have a 25-12 record, but as favorites, they are 59-46.

On the run line, the Astros are 73-69 overall, with an average run margin of 1.2 per game at home. Their over/under record is 57-80, and when the O/U line is 8.5 runs, their O/U record is 17-26. This season, their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game.

Justin Verlander Gets The Start For The Astros

Through 13 starts, Justin Verlander has a record of 3-5 and an ERA of 4.52. His WHIP for the season is currently 1.31. Looking at his overall numbers, Verlander has made five quality starts and is averaging 7.91 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Verlander took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up five earned runs. Before that, he had lost two straight starts, giving up two earned runs in each outing. The right-hander has given up at least one homer in three straight starts.

Astros Offense Breakdown

Yordan Alvarez has been on a tear of late for the Astros, going 9/27 with four homers over his last seven games. For the season, he is batting .313 and leads the Astros with 80 RBIs. His 32 homers are 10th in the MLB. Jose Altuve is also swinging the bat well, as he is on a four-game hitting streak and has a batting average of .300 for the season.

As a team, the Astros are the 2nd best batting average team in the league and are also among the league leaders in home runs. Overall, they are averaging 4.6 runs per game and have been even better at home, putting up 4.9 runs per contest. Houston is also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts.

Diamondbacks vs Astros Prediction

Our prediction for today’s Diamondbacks vs. Astros matchup is for the Astros to pick up a 6-5 win. Given that they are the money line favorites, we recommend taking the Astros to win straight up, with a payout of -148.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Verlander is projected to finish with seven strikeouts compared to Ryne Nelson, who we have at six. However, Nelson is predicted to give up more earned runs than Verlander.

Offensively, we have the Diamondbacks finishing with nine hits compared to the Astros with 10. If you’re looking for a player prop bet, you could look at Verlander’s strikeout total and take the over if the line is set at six or lower.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.