It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rays-Astros prediction and pick. Fin.d out how to watch Rays Astros.
Yusei Kikuchi is being asked to help the Houston Astros win the American League West and make a playoff push. The injuries to the Houston staff have been unceasing this year. Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy, Lance McCullers, Cristian Javier, the list goes on. Houston has had tons of starters get hurt, and that's a key reason — though hardly the only one — why the Astros don't have a significantly better record. Yet, Seattle and Texas have also struggled, leaving the door open for the Astros to grab another division title. Kikuchi is under pressure to deliver the goods in Houston.
Tampa Bay made a ton of trades despite still being in the hunt for an American League wild card spot. The Rays are not in good position, but they're within striking distance. The front office made the calculated decision to sell pieces, stock the farm system, and make a bigger run at the brass ring in 2025 with Shane McClanahan and the other injured pitchers who should be healthy next April. It's frankly a smart move from one of the more adaptable and forward-thinking franchises in baseball.
Rays-Astros Projected Starters
Shane Baz vs. Yusei Kikuchi
Shane Baz (0-1) has a 3.66 ERA. In limited action, Baz has been solid. The real question with him, as he comes back into the rotation after a prolonged injury-based absence, is how well he performs once hitters and opposing teams gather more film on him and study more of his tendencies and patterns. Can Baz avoid being too predictable in his pitch sequences so that hitters aren't sitting on certain pitches? That will be something to watch in this game and in the next few weeks.
Last Start: Friday, July 26 vs the Cincinnati Reds: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 7 K
2024 Road Splits: 2 starts, 9 1/3 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 6 BB, 7 K
Yusei Kikuchi (4-9) has a 4.75 ERA. Kikuchi was a luckless pitcher with the Blue Jays, who frequently did not give him much run support. Kikuchi had a terrible 2022 season, and his career was at a crossroads. He made major improvements in 2023 and delivered the kind of season the Jays were hoping for, helping Toronto make the playoffs. He hasn't been as good this year as he was last year, but he is still a solid pitcher. The ERA doesn't reflect how good he has been. Kikuchi gave the Blue Jays a lot of good starts but got lit up in a few really bad starts to cause his ERA to skyrocket. Overall, there's a lot more good than bad here, and Houston felt it was worth it to acquire him before the deadline.
Last Start: Friday, July 26 vs the Texas Rangers: 4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 K
2024 Home Splits: 12 starts, 67 2/3 IP, 67 H, 38 R, 10 HR, 15 BB, 72 K
Here are the Rays-Astros MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Astros Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-152)
Moneyline: +132
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+126)
Moneyline: -156
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How to Watch Rays vs Astros
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Sun (Rays) / SpaceCity Home Network (Astros) / MLB Network / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rays are very familiar with Yusei Kikuchi, having faced him a lot with the Blue Jays. They will mash him in a hitter-friendly yard in Houston.
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
Kikuchi has to love being on a team which is likely to give him the run support he never had in Toronto. Houston has a good chance of shredding Shane Baz, who is trying to settle into the season and might not have full rhythm in this game.
Final Rays-Astros Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to the Rays, given that Yusei Kikuchi might need one game to adjust to his new surroundings in Houston and a park which is even more of a hitter's paradise than Toronto's ballpark. However, Kikuchi is ultimately a wild card more than a net negative for Houston. He might get more run support from the Astros than he did from the Blue Jays. Ultimately, this game is worth passing on.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Rays-Astros Prediction & Pick: Rays +1.5
Follow Us
Subscribe