Pittsburgh Pirates vs Houston Astros Betting Pick & Prediction 7/29/24

Paul Skenes is starting for the Pirates on Monday, and he is facing off against Jake Bloss for the Astros. The money line odds have the Pirates at -152 compared to the Astros at +128. This interleague matchup is set for 8:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston, and the Pirates are 3rd in the NL Central, while the Astros lead the AL West.

The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs, and the under is favored at -109. This one figures to be a low-scoring affair, as the Astros have the best record in the AL West, while the Pirates are 3rd in the NL Central.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros Moneyline +128

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:10 ET on Monday, July 29th.

HOW TO BET THE PIRATES VS ASTROS:

• We have the Astros winning by a score of 5 to 4
• If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Astros to cover
• As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over

Pirates Records & Stats

Pittsburgh is coming off a game in which they needed extra innings to pick up the 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks. The Pirates scored four runs in the top of the 10th and then added another run in the top of the 11th to close things out. Heading into the game, the Pirates were the slight favorite at -102 on the money line.

Mitch Keller put together a good start for the Pirates, going seven innings and giving up just two earned runs, and picking up the win. Pittsburgh’s offense was carried by Oneil Cruz, who went 1/3 with a homer and three RBIs.

Pittsburgh is 53-52 overall and trails the Brewers in the NL Central by seven games. The Pirates will be on the road for today’s game vs. the Astros, and they are 17-15 against other teams in the NL Central. They are currently 3rd in the division, one game behind the Cardinals.

At home, the Pirates are an even 26-26 this year, and they have been slightly better on the road, going 27-26. So far, they have been good as the road favorite, going 9-6, and they are 22-20 as the favorite overall. As for their series record, the Pirates are 15-14-5 this year, and they dropped their most recent series vs. the Diamondbacks.

When the Pirates win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.3 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.5 runs per game. Their run line record is 58-47, and they are 32-21 against the run line on the road. They are 43-20 against the run line as an underdog.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road against the Houston Astros today. The over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs, which is below their season average of 8 runs per game. The Pirates have gone over the total in 48 of their 104 games this season, and their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game. The over has hit in 74.3% of their games this season when the line has been set at 7.5 runs.

Right-hander Paul Skenes is getting the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Astros on the road. Skenes has made 12 starts this season and has a record of 6-1. His ERA for the season is an impressive 1.93, along with a WHIP of .87. Skenes has turned in 10 quality starts this year and is averaging 11.69 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he took the loss, going 8 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

So far this season, the Pirates offense has been pretty average, averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .232, which is 18th in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and slugging percentage. However, they do come into the game with three of their hitters on three-game hitting streaks.

Bryan Reynolds is having a strong season for the Pirates, batting .288 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs. His 61 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Oneil Cruz is also near the top of the Pirates’ home run and RBI leaderboards, with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. Cruz has also gone 6/22 in his last six games, including two homers.

Astros Records & Stats

Heading into their last game vs. the Dodgers, the Astros closed out the series with a 6-2 loss. Houston was the slight favorite at -135 on the money line. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Dodgers scored three times in the 2nd.

Spencer Arrighetti put together a good start for the Astros, going six innings and giving up just three earned runs, and striking out eight. However, Houston’s offense really struggled after the 1st inning, and the Astros only had two more hits the rest of the game. Yainer Diaz’s solo homer in the 1st was the only other run the Astros scored.

Houston is hosting the Pirates today with an overall record of 55-50, which has them tied with the Mariners for the AL West lead. The Astros are 19-17 in divisional games this year. Houston closed out their series with the Dodgers with a win and took the series 2-1.

At home, the Astros are 30-22 this season compared to a 25-28 mark on the road. So far, they have been slightly better than average as the favorite, going 41-36. As the underdog overall, the Astros are 14-14 this year. They have an overall series record of 19-14-1 this season.

When the Astros win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.9 runs per game. That has led to a run line record of 54-51 overall, including 27-25 at home. In games they lose, the average run margin is -3.3 runs per game. As the underdog, they have gone 18-10 against the run line, compared to 36-41 as the favorite.

The Houston Astros are set to host the Pittsburgh Pirates in a game that has an over/under line of 7.5 runs. The combined run average for Astros games this season is 8.9, and their over/under record is 42-59. The average over/under line for their games is 9 runs, and when the line has been set at 7.5 runs, their over/under record is 7-9. The vast majority of their games this season have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs, with 85 of their 105 games having higher lines, which is an 81.0% rate.

Getting the start for the Astros today is Jake Bloss, who will be making his 4th start of the season. He has yet to pick up a win, as he took a loss in his last outing against the Athletics. In that game, he went 4 innings, giving up 5 runs on 6 hits and 1 home run.

Heading into today’s game, the Astros are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they have the 2nd best team batting average in the league at .262. Houston’s offense has been led by Yainer Diaz, who is batting .288 and has gone deep nine times this season, while also leading the team with 57 RBIs.

Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker are also having strong seasons for the Astros, with Altuve batting .309 and Tucker at .266. Tucker’s 19 homers are 2nd on the team and 13th in the league. Over his last five games, Alex Bregman has two homers but is just 5/20.