The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros will meet in the second of a day-night doubleheader at Minute Maid Park on Thursday. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Yankees-Astros prediction and pick.
The Yankees and the Astros will likely have an hour break before starting Game 2 of the day-night doubleheader at Minute Maid Park. It will start at 6:40 eastern time, and we might see different lineups for each game, depending on how Game 1 goes. The Yankees have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Astros, while Houston can gain a massive two games in the standings.
Manager Aaron Boone has not officially announced a starting pitcher yet. However, he did mention that he would likely go with Jordan Montgomery and Jameson Taillon in this doubleheader. Taillon is 10-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 18 games started. He tossed six innings in his last outing, allowing one earned run on two hits. Alternatively, his July has not been great, as he is 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA over three starts. Taillon is also 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA over three career starts against the Astros. Likewise, he threw 5 2/3 innings in his last meeting with Houston, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits.
Luis Garcia will likely go for the Astros. Garcia is 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA through 16 games started. Recently, he tossed six innings, allowing one earned run on one hit with three walks and seven strikeouts. Garcia faced the Yanks a few weeks ago allowing one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Yankees-Astros odds:
MLB odds: Yankees-Astros Odds
Yankees: +1.5 (-220) ML (+102)
Astros: -1.5 (+180) ML (-120)
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
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Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread
The Yankees have the best offense in baseball, and it helps with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, and Matt Carpenter producing. Judge is batting .202 with five home runs, 10 RBIs, and 14 runs in 31 games against the Astros. Also, Stanton is batting .263 with three home runs, five RBIs, and four runs in five games against Houston.
Torres has been a consistent producer for the Yanks, batting .268 with 14 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 44 runs. Likewise, he has had a good July, batting .358 with one home run, nine RBIs, and 11 runs in 12 games. Alternatively, Torres has not fared well against the Astros. He is batting .125 (2 for 16) against the Astros in 2022, and .244 with two home runs, 11 RBIs, and 12 runs in 24 games against them in his career.
Carpenter has been one of the best additions the Yankees have made in a long time. Carpenter, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals since they drafted him in 2011, came to the Yankees with low expectations. After all, he was batting .169 last season, and .186 the year before. Joining the Yankees has turned his career around, as he is batting .354 with 13 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 23 runs through 31 games. However, he also has struggled against the Astros, batting .246 with one home run, eight RBIs, and 13 runs in 25 games.
The Yankees have one of the best bullpens in baseball, rating second in team ERA. Likewise, they rank second in team ERA in night games. The Yankees will cover the spread if their top four sluggers can get the job done. Additionally, they will need their bullpen to hold up against a dangerous lineup.
Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
The Astros have supreme threats like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker. Altuve is batting .280 with 11 home runs, 25 RBIs, and 34 runs in 57 career games against the Bronx Bombers. Likewise, he is batting .262 with six home runs, 14 RBIs, and 15 runs in 27 games at Minute Maid Park against the Yanks. Altuve is heating up, as he is batting .327 with two home runs, seven RBIs, and 10 runs in July. Also, he is 4 for 9 against Taillon and 2 for 10 against Montgomery in his career.
Alvarez is batting .306 with 26 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 57 runs through 75 games. Subsequently, he is batting .276 with 12 home runs, 26 RBIs, and 25 runs at Minute Maid Park. Alvarez is batting .226 (7 for 31) with three home runs, four RBIs, and eight runs in his career against New York. Likewise, he is 3 for 12 against the Bronx Bombers this season with one home run, three RBIs, and two runs over four games.
The Astros have the best bullpen in baseball. Their ability to hold leads has propelled them. Houston will cover the spread if their pitching staff can deliver a lead to their vaunted bullpen, and the relievers will take care of the rest.
Final Yankees-Astros Prediction & Pick
The Yankees and the Astros will split the doubleheader. However, there is a strong feeling the Yankees take this one as they play better at night.
Final Yankees-Astros Prediction & Pick: Yankees ML (+102)
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