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The Houston Astros take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday! Check out our MLB odds series as we hand out an Astros-Pirates prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
The Houston Astros lost Jose Altuve during the World Baseball Classic and Justin Verlander to free agency. However, they still have Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena and Alex Bregman. They also added Jose Abreu, the 2020 AL MVP. Even with all these players still on the team, Houston is off to a really slow start. They are coming off of three straight series against the American League Central. The Astros dropped two out of three to the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins while splitting with the Chicago White Sox. Houston is coming off a win Sunday afternoon as Hunter Brown pitched a gem and Chas McCormick hit his second home run of the year in the 5-1 victory over Minnesota.
The Pirates are surprisingly off to a winning start in their first nine games. They opened the season losing two of three to the Cincinatti Reds, but then Pittsburgh swept the Boston Red Sox and took two of three against the White Sox. Bryan Reynolds is off to a hot start for the Pirates, hitting .405 with five home runs and 14 RBI in nine games. Sunday Afternoon, the Pirates defeated the White Sox in a pitchers duel 1-0. Jack Suwinski recorded the RBI on a sac fly while Johan Oviedo threw 6 2/3 shutout innings in the win.
This will be the first and only series between the two teams. Framber Valdez will get the ball for Houston while Roansy Contreras takes the mound for Pittsburgh.
Here are the Astros-Pirates MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Astros-Pirates Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (-111)
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-108)
Over: 7.5 (-120)
Under: 7.5 (-102)
How To Watch Astros vs. Pirates
TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Stream: MLB TV Subscription
Time: 6:35 PM ET/ 3:35 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
The Astros need to rely on their pitching, and their ace is taking the mound in this one. Framber Valdez has given up just two earned runs in 12 innings pitched this season. He has been able to command all of his pitches, too. Valdez has struck out 13 batters while walking just one. He will be facing a Pirates team that just lost Oneil Cruz to injury. Valdez should be able to shut down the Pirates in this one.
If Valdez pitches well and gets it to his bullpen for the final two or three innings, the Astros will win this game. Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly, Phil Maton and Rafael Montero have pitched a combined 20 innings on the season. In those inings, they have combined to allow just five earned runs while striking out 25, walking six and giving up only 11 hits. If Houston can get the ball to these guys for the final two to three innings, they will win this game.
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
The Pirates have just lost Oneil Cruz to injury, as mentioned before. However, it is not the end of the world. Bryan Reynolds is already in midseason form and Andrew McCutchen is batting .375 in his return to Pittsburgh. Not to be forgotten, Connor Joe is hitting .500 in five games played this season. Pittsburgh needs to find a way to scratch across a few runs as Houston can get hot at the plate in a blink of an eye.
The Pirates will have Roansy Contreras on the mound, and he was solid in his last start. He threw 5 2/3 innings against Boston, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out three. Houston is second in the MLB in strikeouts, so there is a chance to rack up the K's for Contreras in this one. The Astros have only hit 10 home runs as well. Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez are the two hitters to worry about when it comes to the long ball, but Contreras the Pirates pitching staff should be able to attack the rest of the hitters. Pittsburgh needs Contreras to have his best stuff in this game if they want to win.
Final Astros-Pirates Prediction & Pick
The Pirates are off to a surprising start this seaosn, but the Astros are going to be dangerous no matter what. Their offense will pick it up, and it should start in this one. Expect Houston to pick up the pace and win this one by two or more, especially with Valdez on the mound.
Final Astros-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (-111), Over 7.5 (-120)
