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After an offensive shootout taking place on Monday resulting in an 8-7 Orioles win, Baltimore and Houston will face off for the second consecutive night in a battle between two American League titans. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Orioles-Astros prediction and pick will be revealed.
Currently with the best record in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles still only hold a 2.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in a hectic AL East race. However, the Orioles have happened to win three games in a row and could be on their way to playing their best ball of the season. Projected to get the start for the O's in this one will be righty Kyle Gibson who is 14-9 with a 4.98 ERA.
The defending champs should not be expected to lay down easily. In yesterday's slugfest, it was Houston that fought tooth and nail to the very end before falling in defeat by only one run. Simply put, don't count these guys out no matter the odds. In the midst of a wild division race themselves, the Astros are 1.5 games up on the Rangers and Mariners for first place and need every win they can get to ensure themselves a playoff spot down the stretch of the regular season. Getting the start in this one will be Hunter Brown who is a dead-even 11-11 to go along with a 4.61 ERA.
Here are the Orioles-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Astros Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-154)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+138)
Over: 9 (-118)
Under: 9 (-104)
How To Watch Orioles vs. Astros
TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest/MASN
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 8:10 ET/5:10 PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
At first glance, the Orioles might be slightly a more well-rounded team than the Astros on paper, but they still need to come out and give it their all to ensure a covering of the spread. Indeed, let's not forget that this Astros roster has tons of championship experience and they have grown accustomed to taking advantage of contests and finding ways to win over the years.
In order to cover the spread, Baltimore needs to make sure that they continue the hot bats that they showcased in Monday's spectacular victory. More specifically, can the Orioles do enough to with RISP to down the Astros on the road? At last, Baltimore is an imposing threat at the plate after so many years of sluggish play with the bats, and the Orioles have made it count when it matters most offensively. Believe it or not, Baltimore boasts a top-ten offensive attack hands down, and will once again prove to be tough to beat when going head-to-head with the Astros. In addition, scoring at a consistent rate and making Houston's pitching staff sweat after every pitch will be the key to success.
Not to mention, this pitching staff isn't too shabby either including another solid campaign by savvy vet Kyle Gibson. In fact, Gibson is no stranger in finding success while pitching on the road with a 7-3 record in 17 road starts. Does Gibson have it in him to hold the Astros offense in check?
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
On the other side of things, the Astros are certainly losing way more often than they would like and are looking to reverse that trend with a statement on Tuesday night.
In order to accomplish such a feat, Houston will seek a little more reliability from their bullpen. After entering the ninth inning with a two-run lead, closer Ryan Pressley failed to deliver the goods as he surrendered a back-breaking three-run home run that ultimately resulted in a devastating loss. It is hard to argue against the fact that the Astros may hold a lead in this game at some point, but Houston's ability to shut the door will need to occur to improve their season record against the spread to 76-75 overall.
Furthermore, a steady start from Hunter Brown may end up being the difference in Houston coming out on top in this one. Additionally, bettors should not have any concerns with this ‘Stros offense coming in clutch with their bats, but Brown will ultimately be the reason they cover in front of their home fans. If the 25-year-old starting hurler can pitch deep enough into this one to take a load off of the Astros bullpen, then Houston should be in pretty good shape to prevail.
Final Orioles-Astros Prediction & Pick
With the amount of excitement and anticipation surrounding this matchup, this game should be as entertaining as the one on Monday night that proved late-game fireworks. With so much on the line, this one could truly go either way, so it is probably a safe wager to count on the Orioles to keep this matchup between less than two runs as underdogs.
Final Orioles-Astros Prediction & Pick: Orioles +1.5 (-154)