The Tampa Bay Rays (55-54) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (57-52) on Saturday, August 3rd. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on FOX. 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 6:15 CT.
Rays vs. Astros Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Astros (-155)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Astros have won 5 of their last 7 home games.
- In their last 15 games, the Astros have scored 5 or more runs in 8 games.
- The Astros have a 2-game winning streak coming into this game.
- In their last 3 home games against the Rays, the Astros have won all 3.
- The Astros have outscored their opponents by 10 runs in their last 5 home games.
Rays vs Astros
Houston picked up a 3-2 win over the Rays in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a late rally, scoring one run in the 7th and another in the 8th to tie the game. As for the Rays, they scored two runs in the 1st and didn’t score another run until putting up one in the top of the 9th.
Yusei Kikuchi got the start for the Astros, going 5 2/3 innings while giving up two runs and striking out 11. Bryan Abreu got the win out of the bullpen, and Josh Hader got the save. Kevin Kelly took the loss for Tampa Bay out of the bullpen.
At the plate, Houston was led by Yainer Diaz, Jeremy Pena, and Jon Singleton, as they were the only three Astros hitters to have more than one hit. Diaz. Tampa Bay’s top hitter was Dylan Carlson, who went 1/3 with a home run.
After winning two straight games against the Red Sox, the Rays have now dropped two in a row, putting them at 55-54 for the season and 4th in the AL East, nine games behind the Orioles. In AL East matchups, they have a 16-21 record. The Rays are currently losing their series vs. the Astros and have an overall series record of 19-12-4.
As underdogs, the Rays have a 25-27 record against the run line, but they are 5-0 in their last five games. Their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 52-52. When the total has been set at 8 runs, the over has hit 13 times, the under 15 times, and there has been one push.
Zack Littell Gets The Start For The Rays
Zack Littell will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that start vs. the Reds, he went seven innings and didn’t give up a walk. Looking at his overall numbers, Littell has made 21 starts, and his record for the season is 4-7. Littell’s ERA is 4.18, along with a WHIP of 1.35. For the year, he has allowed 17 home runs. Out of his 21 starts, Littell has turned in eight quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.29 strikeouts and just 1.74 walks.
Rays Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Rays are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 27th in the league. At home, they have been even worse, averaging only 3.7 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .234 and have the 21st home run total in the league.
Yandy Diaz comes into the game with a three-game hitting streak and is batting .274 for the season with nine homers. Christopher Morel is batting just .199 for the season and has gone 2/10 in his last three games. However, he does have 20 homers, which is 13th best in the league.
Currently, the Astros share the AL West division lead with the Mariners, both teams having a 57-52 record. Houston has won two straight games, including their most recent victory against the Rays. In AL West matchups, they are 19-17.
Against the run line, the Astros are 54-55 overall, with a 27-29 record at home and 27-26 on the road. As favorites, they are 36-44 vs. the run line, and as underdogs, they are 18-11. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs this season, and they have gone over the total in 44 of their 105 games.
Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros
Ronel Blanco will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Dodgers on July 27th, he went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, and three homers. Blanco finished with a final line of 4 earned runs, nine hits, and three walks in the outing. Before that, he had taken the loss in two straight outings. Blanco’s record for the season is 9-5, and he has an ERA of 2.95. Opponents are batting .175 this season off Blanco. He has one complete game shutout this year.
Astros Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a little better at home, putting up 4.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .261, which is the 2nd best mark in the league, and are also among the league leaders in slugging percentage and OPS. Houston’s offense has been led by Yainer Diaz, who is hitting .300 for the season and has gone 10/20 in his last five games, including two homers.
Yordan Alvarez is 13th in the league with 20 home runs and is 2nd on the team with 55 RBIs. Kyle Tucker has also been a big power threat for the Astros, as he has 19 homers, which is 14th in the league. Tucker is also on a three-game hitting streak coming into the game.
Rays vs Astros Prediction
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Astros, and with them sitting at -155 on the money line, this is the way we recommend playing this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Zack Littell is projected to finish with five strikeouts, and he is Zack Littell is projected to finish with five strikeouts, and he is projected to give up four earned runs. As for Ronel Blanco, he is also projected to finish with five K’s, and he is projected to give up three earned runs.
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 3, 2024 Astros, Rays