The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres will wrap up a three-game series on Sunday afternoon. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Astros-Padres prediction and pick.

The Padres came into this series needing a couple of wins, making this rubber match a crucial one. With the series-opening loss to the Astros followed by a big win on Saturday, San Diego is a half-game behind of the last Wild Card spot.

Meanwhile, the Astros lead the AL West by 5.5 games. The Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners are both trying to catch them, so every game helps them secure their division crown.

Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Sunday's game.

MLB Odds: Astros-Padres Odds

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Houston Astros ML (-104)

San Diego Padres ML (-106)

Over 8 1/2 runs (-113)

Under 8 1/2 runs (-107)

Why The Astros Could Win

Houston is easily the most well-rounded team in baseball. The Astros have the best offense in MLB, with their lineup currently ranking in the top three in the league in batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage. The pitching rotation has five solid starters, and the bullpen is filled with great arms. This is a tough team to beat no matter what, but it gets even harder when Astros pitcher Luis Garcia draws the start like he has in this one.

Garcia has been surprisingly great this season. He has earned a 3.23 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP on the year, two very solid numbers. Besides those impressive stats, Garcia has some numbers that show this Padres team is a good matchup for him. San Diego is actually a worse offensive team when playing at home, holding a lower batting average, OPS, and slugging percentage at Petco Park. San Diego also struggled swinging the bat all throughout the month of August, slumping to a .230 batting average over that span. All of their other statistics were similarly poor. Garcia is going into a matchup against a team that hasn't hit well recently and doesn't like hitting at home, Saturday's win aside. A quality performance should be in the cards.

The Houston hitters should also be looking forward to their matchup. The Padres are set to send out pitcher Chris Paddack for the start. Paddack hasn't had a terrible year, posting a 4.98 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP on the season. However, his last seven starts have been far worse than his overall body of work. Over that span, Paddack has allowed a 5.68 ERA while hitting and walking batters all over the place. This patient Astros lineup should be happy to face a pitcher who's clearly not pitching his best right now.

Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread

Despite their recent cold streak, there are a couple of reasons to believe in this Padres offense. They may not like hitting at home, but Garcia likes pitching on the road even less. Garcia's ERA skyrockets from 1.83 at home to 4.85 on the road. The righty's opponents also have an easy time hitting him when he pitches away from Minute Maid Park, shown by the .254 batting average Garcia has surrendered on the road.  The Padres exploded for 10 runs in Saturday's game, and it's certainly possible that the momentum continues in this game.

San Diego starter Chris Paddack has been ice-cold recently, but there are some stats that inspire confidence as he heads into this game. The Astros are slightly worse offensively when they face a right-handed pitcher, as they see a small drop in batting average, OPS, OBP, and slugging percentage. Houston is also on a bit of a cold streak, scoring more than four runs in only one of the last six games. It's not much, but it may be enough to help Paddack put together a decent performance.

Final Astros-Padres Prediction & Pick

This is an easy pick. The Astros have the advantage in every way in this matchup, and they should win by multiple runs. These Houston hitters should shell Chris Paddack, and the Padres won't be able to keep up. The over is another good play, but the Astros should win this one easily.

FINAL ASTROS-PADRES PREDICTION & PICK: Houston Astros ML (-104)