The Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles will begin a four-game series with a Thursday night matchup at Camden Yards in Baltimore. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes an Astros-Orioles prediction and pick, laid out below.

Houston is gearing up for the postseason as the regular season winds down with a 99-51 record, including a four-game win streak. This team has one of the deepest rosters in the league and did not even blink an eye when Carlos Correa left, knowing the farm system could replace him.

Baltimore has scratched and clawed to keep themselves in playoff contention, but time is starting to run out. With a 77-71 record, Baltimore is in fourth place in the AL East, and four games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. With only 14 games left to play, every game needs to be treated like the playoffs.

Here are the Astros-Orioles MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Astros-Orioles Odds

Houston Astros: -1.5 (-106)

Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-113)

Over: 7 (-104)

Under: 7 (-118)

Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread

Justin Verlander is back after missing two weeks with a calf injury. In his first start since returning from the Injured List, Verlander fired five shutout innings, allowing no hits while walking just one and striking out nine. On the season, Verlander has gone 17-3 with a 1.78 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 157 innings. In his last seven starts, Verlander has pitched to a 1.55 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. Verlander's 4.5 percent walk rate ranks in the 96th percentile in the league. Batters have hit just .185 against Verlander. Houston's bullpen has the best ERA in the league at 2.69, with 522 strikeouts in 455.1 innings. Bryan Abreu throws nearly 50 percent sliders, holding batters to a .156 batting average against that pitch. Abreu owns a 2.05 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 57 innings. Rafael Montero has 13 saves, with a 2.30 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. Ryne Stanek has held batters to a .179 batting average, with a 1.07 ERA in his 54 appearances. Closer Ryan Pressly has been great, with 30 saves, a 2.91 ERA, and 57 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.

Yordan Alvarez leads the offense with a .302 batting average and 37 home runs, ranking second with 94 RBI, adding 24 doubles. Another lefty slugger, Kyle Tucker, leads the team with 102 RBI and 22 stolen bases, ranking second with 29 home runs and adding 27 doubles. Jose Altuve is third on the team with 25 home runs, ranking third with 33 doubles. Alex Bregman leads the team with 38 doubles, has walked more than he has struck out, and has belted 21 home runs while driving in 88 runs. Yuli Gurriel is second with 37 doubles, adding eight home runs. Jeremy Pena has proven a capable replacement for Carlos Correa, hitting 19 home runs and 19 doubles in his rookie season. Expect a warm welcome for Trey Mancini, who will play in Baltimore for the first time as a visitor. Houston ranks fifth in the league with 201 home runs and is tied for seventh with 261 doubles.

Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread

Baltimore will send rookie Kyle Bradish to the mound in this one. Bradish has struggled to a 3-7 record with a 5.05 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 101.2 innings across 20 starts. Bradish was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in the Dylan Bundy trade prior to the 2020 season. Bradish has run into some bad luck, with his expected ERA sitting at 4.54, meaning that based on the batted ball data, Bradish should have more success. Baltimore's bullpen has performed admirably all season, ranking eighth with a 3.31 ERA in 580 innings. Setup man Dillon Tate has pitched to a 2.67 ERA in 61 appearances, holding batters to a .222 batting average. Lefty Cionel Perez, picked up off the waiver wire in November, has been phenomenal, with a 1.36 ERA in 61 innings. New closer Felix Bautista, he of the triple-digits fastball and trapdoor splitter, has pitched to a 1.71 ERA with 14 saves and 83 strikeouts in 63 innings.

Anthony Santander is the new hitter to be feared in this lineup. The switch-hitting outfielder leads the team with 27 home runs, ranking second with 79 RBI and adding 23 doubles. Austin Hays leads the team with 32 doubles, adding 15 home runs. Ryan Mountcastle ranks second on the team with 80 RBI and 22 home runs. Rookie catcher Adley Rutschman is second on the team with 31 doubles, leading the team with 57 walks, and adding 11 home runs in just 100 games. Safe to say that calling up Rutschman was the right move. Jorge Mateo and Cedric Mullins lead the team with 31 stolen bases each, with Mullins adding 30 doubles and 14 home runs, while Mateo has belted 13 home runs.

Final Astros-Orioles Prediction & Pick

Verlander is just too good to bet against in this one.

Final Astros-Orioles Prediction & Pick: Houston -1.5 (-106), over 7 (-104)