The Pittsburgh Pirates (53-52) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (55-50) on Monday, July 29th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on None. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.

Pirates vs. Astros Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Astros (+128)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs

• Astros have scored 5 or more runs in 8 of their last 15 games.
• Astros have a home record of 30-22, indicating strong performance at home.
• Astros have won 6 of their last 8 home games.
• Astros have a higher league rank (7th) compared to the Pirates (9th).
• Astros have won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record.

Pirates vs Astros

The Pirates Are Coming Off A Win

The Pirates’s last game was a 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks. This was especially big, as it closed out their series vs. Arizona. Pittsburgh was the slight favorite at -102 on the money line. Things looked good for the Pirates early, as they got on the board with three runs in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Diamondbacks scored two runs in the bottom of the first.

Mitch Keller put together a good start for the Pirates, going seven innings and giving up just two earned runs, and picking up the win. Pittsburgh’s offense was carried by Oneil Cruz, who went 1/3 with a homer and three RBIs.

Overall, the Pirates have been a solid bet on the run line this season, with a 58-47 record. On the road, they are 32-21 vs. the run line, and as underdogs, they hold a 43-20 record. Pittsburgh is 53-52 this season, sitting in 3rd place in the NL Central, seven games behind the Brewers. They are 17-15 in divisional games and are looking to bounce back after losing two of three to the Diamondbacks.

When the Pirates play, the average total runs per game is 8.4, resulting in an over/under record of 48-56. For games with a total of 7.5 runs, their O/U record is 6-14. This season, 74.3% of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s 7.5 runs. Heading into their series vs. the Astros, the over has hit in their last two games.

Paul Skenes Gets The Start For The Pirates

Right-hander Paul Skenes gets the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Astros on the road. Skenes has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 6-1 with an ERA of 1.93. In his 12 appearances, he has turned in 10 quality starts and is averaging 11.69 strikeouts per nine innings. Skenes’ last outing came on July 23rd, where he took the loss, going 8 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One issue for Skenes has been the long ball, as he has given up eight homers this year.

Pirates Offense Breakdown

Oneil Cruz has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Pirates, going 6/22 in his last six games with two homers and three RBIs. Cruz is 2nd on the team with 17 homers this season and is batting .253 overall. Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, with a batting average of .288 and a team-leading 18 home runs.

Overall, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. As a team, the Pirates are batting just .232 and are near the bottom of the league in both on-base percentage and slugging.

The Astros Took The Last Game Of This Series

Houston closed out their series vs. the Dodgers with a 6-2 loss. Heading into the game, the Astros were the slight favorite at -135 on the money line. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Dodgers scored three times in the 2nd.

Spencer Arrighetti put together a good start for the Astros, going six innings and giving up just three earned runs, and striking out eight. However, the Astros couldn’t get the win, and Arrighetti took the loss. Offensively, the Astros only had four hits but scored their only two runs on a homer by Yainer Diaz.

As the underdog, the Astros have been a good run line bet with an 18-10 record, but they are 36-41 as the favorite. Their average run margin in wins is +3.9 runs per game, while it drops to -3.3 runs per game in losses. Houston’s overall run line record is 54-51, and their average run margin per game is +0.5 runs.

Today’s game is crucial for the Astros as they are tied with the Mariners for the AL West lead with a 55-50 record. At home, Houston has a 30-22 record, and their overall series record is 19-14-1. Astros games this season have averaged 8.9 runs per game, and their over/under record is 42-59. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 7.5 runs, which is lower than usual, as 81.0% of their games have had higher lines.

Jake Bloss Gets The Start For The Astros

Jake Bloss is set to make his 4th start of the season for the Astros, and he will be at home against the Pirates. In his last start, Bloss took the loss vs. the A’s, going 4 innings and allowing 5 earned runs. He has yet to record a win this season, as he took a no-decision in his first start vs. the Marlins.

Astros Offense Breakdown

So far this season, the Astros are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are one of the league’s top offensive teams, batting .262 as a team, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. One area they could improve in is their walk rate, as they currently rank 24th in the league in that category.

Yordan Alvarez has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 20 home runs are the best mark on the team and 12th best in the MLB. Kyle Tucker is also among the league leaders in homers, as he has gone deep 19 times this season. As a team, the Astros are 9th in the league in home runs.

Pirates vs Astros Prediction

Our prediction for today’s Pirates vs. Astros game is to take the Astros on the money line at +128. We have the Astros winning this one by a final score of 5-4. With the over/under sitting at 7.5 runs, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room, but we would take the over if you’re looking for a run total prediction.

Looking at today’s starters, Jake Bloss of the Astros is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best among today’s starters. As for Paul Skenes of the Pirates, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which is 10th among starters.

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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.