The Houston Astros (63-55) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (59-59) on Tuesday, August 13th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on None. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Astros. First pitch is set for 5:50 CT.
Astros vs. Rays Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Astros (-136)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Astros have won 7 of their last 10 games.
- The Astros have scored an average of 6.4 runs per game in their last 5 road games.
- The Astros have a current winning streak of 6 games.
- The Astros have outscored their opponents 32-17 in their last 5 road games.
- The Astros have a better overall record (63-55) compared to the Rays (59-59).
Astros vs Rays
Houston cruised to an easy 6-1 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 3rd inning, scoring four of their six runs. As for the Rays, they scored their only run in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -129 on the money line.
Framber Valdez only went 5 2/3 innings for the Astros but gave up just one run and struck out nine. He picked up a win in the game, while Taj Bradley struggled on the mound for the Rays, giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Yainer Diaz and Alex Bregman each homered for the Astros, while Yordan Alvarez scored twice and drove in two runs while going 2/5. Jose Altuve also had a two-hit game at the plate.
Houston has a 31-29 road record and is on a six-game winning streak, giving them a half-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. The Astros have a 47-39 record as favorites and are 21-16-1 in series this season.
When the total is set at 8 runs, the Astros have gone over the total 7 times, under 11 times, and pushed twice. Today’s O/U line of 8 runs is lower than their season average of 8.8 runs per game, with 63.6% of their games having higher total lines.
Yusei Kikuchi Gets The Start For The Astros
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Rays on the road. Kikuchi has made 24 starts this year and has a record of 5-9 with an ERA of 4.62. His WHIP for the season is currently 1.33. In his last outing, Kikuchi picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits. He finished with eight strikeouts in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts. Kikuchi has a WHIP of 5.92 on the road compared to 5.06 at home.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker have been a great 1-2 punch in the Astros lineup this season, as Alvarez leads the team with 25 homers, and Tucker is right behind him with 19. Alvarez is also batting .308, and Tucker is at .266 for the season. Both players have been hot of late, with Alvarez going 9/18 with four homers in his last five games, while Tucker has gone 10/22 with three homers in that stretch.
Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz have also been key contributors for the Astros this season, as Altuve is batting .304 with 15 homers, and Diaz is hitting .299 with 12 homers. Diaz’s 66 RBIs lead the team, while Alvarez is 2nd at 64. Altuve and Diaz are on hitting streaks of seven and six games, respectively.
On the season, the Rays have an over/under record of 54-59, with their games averaging 8.3 runs per game. As underdogs, Tampa Bay is 28-32 straight up, but they have been solid on the run line at 36-24. Their average run margin in wins is +2.8, while in losses, it’s -3.7.
Tampa Bay is currently 10.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East, with an even 59-59 record. They have lost their last two series and are 4-6 in their last 10 games, including a loss in the series opener against the Astros.
Shane Baz Gets The Start For The Rays
Through six starts, Shane Baz has yet to pick up a win, as he is 0-1 with an ERA of 4.29. Baz has made two quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he gave up two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. In that outing vs. the Cardinals, he gave up two homers. Baz has made six appearances this year and has a BB/9 figure of 3.68 compared to 7.98 strikeouts per nine innings. The right-hander has a WHIP of 1.47. Baz has allowed a total of two homers at home and two on the road.
Rays Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They have also been one of the worst home run-hitting teams in the league and are batting just .233 as a team. Tampa Bay’s team on-base percentage is just 13th in the league, and they are 25th in slugging percentage.
Yandy Diaz comes into the game with a team-high 51 RBIs and is batting .270 for the season. Christopher Morel is the team’s top power threat, with 20 homers, but he is batting just .192. Over his last five games, Brandon Lowe has gone just 3/21.
Astros vs Rays Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Astros vs. Rays game is that the Astros will pick up a 5-4 road win. Given that the payout for an Astros win is -136, we would recommend taking them on the money line.
Looking at some potential player props, Yusei Kikuchi is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which would have him finishing fourth among all starters. As for Shane Baz, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which would have him 19th.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* 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.
Last updated:August 13, 2024 Astros, Rays