Subscribe
Follow Us
The Cleveland Indians and the Houston Astros will continue their three-game series Tuesday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Indians-Astros prediction and pick.
The Indians seem to be heating up a bit, winning five of their last seven games. Every single night counts for Cleveland as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture in a competitive AL Central. The Astros, on the other hand, don't have to do any catching up. They lead the AL West by 3.5 games and own one of the best records in the MLB. The Oakland Athletics are hot on Houston's heels, so they need to continue their winning ways to help maintain that lead.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines heading into Tuesday's matchup.
MLB Odds: Indians-Astros Odds
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Cleveland Indians ML (+162)
Houston Astros ML (-176)
Over 9 runs (-106)
Under 9 runs (-114)
Why The Indians Could Cover The Spread
The Indians haven't exactly been an offensive powerhouse this season, but there is some reason to believe that they can hit opposing pitcher Luis Garcia.
Garcia has been pretty good for the entire season, but he's far from untouchable. He owns a 3.06 ERA on the season to go with a 1.10 WHIP. Those are both great numbers, but there are some holes in Garcia's game. He's allowed multiple walks in almost every single appearance he's made. The Indians struggle to get on base, so Garcia's tendency to walk batters could be huge for Cleveland.
The Indians are also a better offensive team when they get to face right-handed pitching. As a team, their batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS all rise against righties. Houston's pitchers also tend to be worse at home, as their team ERA rises when the Astros play in Minute Maid Park.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
While Cleveland's offense has been one of the league's worst, Houston is on the opposite end of the spectrum. They rank inside the top five in the league in batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage. The Astros' bats do not go down easily, and I expect Indians pitcher Triston McKenzie to find that out the hard way.
It's been a rough year for McKenzie, as he's sporting a 5.47 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. He struggles with his control, walking multiple batters in 11 of his 12 appearances. That won't play well against a team that has drawn the eighth-most walks in baseball. McKenzie also gives up a healthy amount of home runs, which the Astros should easily exploit. This is a nightmare matchup for McKenzie, and the Astros should be taking full advantage of that.
Houston also has the advantage on the mound. Garcia just has his competition outclassed in this matchup, as the Indians are horrible offensively. They rank bottom five in batting average and OBP. The Indians have also surpassed four runs only twice in their last ten games.
Final Indians-Astros Prediction & Pick
This is a pretty clear-cut pick. The Astros have the advantage in literally every single way. There's always some chance of an upset, but this is as safe a pick as you can get. Lock in the Astros, even at these odds.
FINAL PICK. Houston Astros ML (-176)
