It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers Astros prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Dodgers Astros.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a record which is several games better than the Houston Astros. However, because the American League West is unusually bad this year, Houston is — along with L.A. — a first-place team in its division entering the final weekend of July. The Astros are looking down at the rest of their division because the Seattle Mariners just got swept at home by the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers have had a terrible season at the plate. It's a real opportunity for the Astros to rescue their season, given that they were more than 10 games under .500 at one point and — like the Mariners and Rangers right now — could not hit at all. Houston's offense has definitely picked up the pace in the past six weeks to rise to first place in a weak division. It's important for Houston's division title chase to not get dominated by quality opponents such as the Dodgers. There's no shame in losing two of three, but the Astros cannot allow themselves to get swept. That's how they'll lose the division race.
The Dodgers are coming off a satisfying win over the San Francisco Giants. They beat Logan Webb. Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw were both part of a winning performance as teammates. Los Angeles keeps finding ways to win despite lacking some of its high-end pitchers plus superstar Mookie Betts and vital veteran Max Muncy. The Dodgers hope to get these key players back by October so that they can make a push toward the World Series. In terms of being able to win their division, the Dodgers are in great shape. The big goal for this team: Get the No. 2 seed in the National League (in a battle with the Milwaukee Brewers; it's a close race between the two teams) so that they can avoid the wild card series and can rest their pitching staff, which has been overworked.
Dodgers-Astros Projected Starters
Gavin Stone vs. Framber Valdez
Gavin Stone (9-3) has a 3.19 ERA. Stone has been one of the quiet, unsung heroes of this team. He is one of the latest examples of the Dodger organization developing a pitcher into a steady, consistent, MLB-quality starter. If Stone hadn't answered the bell, one wonders how much smaller the Dodgers' NL West lead would actually be.
Last Start: Friday, July 19 versus the Boston Red Sox: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K
2024 Road Splits: 8 starts, 47 2/3 IP, 41 H, 15 R, 3 HR, 12 BB, 39 K
Framber Valdez (8-5) has a 3.63 ERA. He has been very good for Houston in recent weeks, becoming a vital part of the Astros' recovery from their slow start this season. Framber was part of the problem when the Astros stumbled out of the gate, but he — like the team — kept battling and competing. Framber Valdez has shown everyone over the past two months that he can still bring it when it really counts.
Last Start: Saturday, July 20 versus the Seattle Mariners: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 BB, 6 K
2024 Home Splits: 8 starts, 50 2/3 IP, 46 H, 19 R, 6 HR, 15 BB, 45 K
Here are the Dodgers-Astros MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Astros Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -102
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-184)
Moneyline: -116
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
How to Watch Dodgers vs Astros
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT
TV: SportsNet LA (Dodgers) / SpaceCity Home Network (Astros) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Dodgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Dodgers are getting contributions from many different sources, and when they need a big late-inning homer, Shohei Ohtani is there for them. He has hit several seventh- or eighth-inning home runs in recent weeks, either putting the Dodgers in position to win or delivering a victory to Los Angeles. The Dodgers are better than Houston and will show it on the field.
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
It's hard to bet against Framber Valdez at home. It's also hard to bet against a Houston team which just had a weird — and bad — series against the Oakland A's and is likely to bounce back from that series this weekend.
Final Dodgers-Astros Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this one. It feels like a total coin flip between two good teams with October dreams.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Dodgers-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros +1.5
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