The Pittsburgh Pirates (55-52) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (55-52) on Wednesday, July 31st. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on MLBN. 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 Pirates. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.
Pirates vs. Astros Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Astros (-216)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- Astros have scored 5 or more runs in 7 of their last 15 games.
- Astros have a home record of 30-24, while the Pirates have an away record of 26-26.
- Astros have won 4 out of their last 6 home games.
- Astros have a higher league rank (8th) compared to the Pirates (9th) in their respective leagues.
- Astros have a better run differential in their last 15 games (+5) compared to the Pirates (-2).
Pirates vs Astros
Pittsburgh cruised to a 6-2 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 4th inning, scoring two of their six runs and picking up three of their four hits. As for the Astros, they scored their only two runs in the 5th and finished with just 10 hits.
Bailey Falter only went 5 1/3 innings for the Pirates but gave up just one hit and one earned run. He finished the game with three strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. Hunter Brown struggled on the mound for the Astros, giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.
At the plate, Michael A. Taylor and Connor Joe each had three RBIs for the Pirates. Taylor, Joey Bart, and Yainer Diaz each had two hits and two RBIs for Pittsburgh’s offense.
After taking the first two games of the series, the Pirates are 55-52 overall and have won three straight games. They are 3rd in the NL Central, six games behind the Brewers.
As underdogs, the Pirates have a 44-20 run line record this season. On the road, they are 34-21 vs. the run line, but at home, they are just .500. The over/under record for Pirates games this season is 49-57, with an average of 8.4 runs per game.
Jake Woodford Gets The Start For The Pirates
Jake Woodford is on the mound for the Pirates as they take on the Astros. This will be his first road start of the season, and in his first two outings, he has taken a loss in each. His first start was at home against the Blue Jays, and he went 4 1/3 innings, giving up 3 earned runs. Then, in his last outing, he gave up 7 runs in 4 innings vs. the Red Sox.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Oneil Cruz has been a solid power threat for the Pirates this season, as his 17 home runs are 2nd on the team and 14th in the league. However, he is batting just .249 for the season and has gone 9/39 in his last 10 games. Bryan Reynolds has been a more consistent hitter for the Pirates, as he is batting .287 for the season and has gone deep 18 times, which is the best mark on the team and 13th in the league. Reynolds also comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak.
Overall, the Pirates offense has been below average this season, as they are averaging just 4.2 runs per game and have one of the league’s worst team batting averages. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game.
Today, the Astros are looking to avoid a sweep by the Pirates after dropping the first two games of the series. Houston’s overall series record this season is 19-14-1, and their average run margin is +0.4 runs per game. The over/under record in Astros games with lines set at 8 runs is 7-10-2, and the combined run average in their games is 8.9.
The Astros are one game behind the Mariners in the AL West with a 55-52 record. As favorites, they are 41-37 straight up and 27-27 against the run line at home. Overall, their run line record is 54-53, and they have covered the run line in 18 of 29 games as underdogs.
Framber Valdez Gets The Start For The Astros
Framber Valdez gets the start for the Astros today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up an earned run. Against the Dodgers on July 26th, he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up just four hits and two walks. Valdez finished with 10 strikeouts in that outing. Overall, he has a record of 9-5 and an ERA of 3.43. Valdez has made 18 starts, and opponents are batting .248 this season. Valdez has one complete game and 11 quality starts this year.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Yordan Alvarez has been a big power threat for the Astros this season, as his 20 home runs are the best mark on the team and 11th in the league. He is also hitting .299, which is 3rd best on the team. Yainer Diaz has also been a big power threat for the Astros, as his 58 RBIs are the best mark on the team, and he is batting .295 for the season. Over his last eight games, Diaz is hitting .406 and has two homers.
Jose Altuve is currently on a six-game hitting streak and is batting .309 for the season. Kyle Tucker is also near the top of the league in home runs, as his 19 homers are 2nd on the team and 12th in the league. However, he is hitting just .266 for the season and has gone 7/33 in his last eight games.
Pirates vs Astros Prediction
Our predicted final score for this Astros vs. Pirates matchup is 6-5 in favor of the Astros. However, with the Astros being such heavy favorites, we recommend taking the over, as there is a lot of value in the line sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, we have Jake Woodford finishing with six strikeouts compared to Framber Valdez at nine. As for the Astros and Pirates lineups, the Astros are projected to finish with 11 hits compared to the Pirates at nine.
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:July 31, 2024 Astros, Pirates