Pittsburgh Pirates vs Houston Astros Betting Pick & Prediction 7/31/24
Wednesday’s interleague matchup between the Pirates and Astros is set for 8:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -216, while the Pirates are +181 underdogs. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.
Pittsburgh will be looking to keep their three-game winning streak alive, as they are 55-52 and 3rd in the NL Central. The Astros are 2nd in the AL West and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak. MLBN is carrying coverage of tonight’s Pirates vs. Astros matchup.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK
The Pick: OVER 8 Runs
This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:10 ET on Wednesday, July 31st.
HOW TO BET THE PIRATES VS ASTROS:
- We have the Astros winning by a score of 6 to 5
- However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Pirates to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
Pittsburgh cruised to a 6-2 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 4th inning, scoring two of their six runs and picking up three of their nine hits. As for the Astros, they scored their only two runs in the 5th and finished the game with just seven hits.
Bailey Falter only went 5 1/3 innings for the Pirates but gave up just one run and picked up the win. Hunter Brown struggled on the mound for the Astros, giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. He did finish the game with eight strikeouts.
At the plate, Michael A. Taylor and Connor Joe each homered for the Pirates, while Joey Bart scored twice and drove in two runs while going 2/4. Yainer Diaz had a four-hit game for the Astros, including a home run.
Pirates Records & Stats
Pittsburgh is on a three-game winning streak, and they are 55-52 overall this season. The Pirates are 3rd in the NL Central, and they trail the Brewers by six games for the division lead. So far, they have gone 17-15 in divisional games. The Pirates have won three straight on the road, and they are 29-26 for the year away from home.
As the road underdog, the Pirates have a record of 19-20 this season. They have also been an even 32-32 as the underdog overall. Pittsburgh has won two straight games as the underdog, and they are 23-20 when favored this year. The Pirates’ overall series record is 15-14-5, and they have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games.
Despite being just .500 at home vs. the run line, the Pirates have been a solid bet on the road, going 34-21. They’ve covered the run line in each of their last three road games and are 44-20 vs. the run line as an underdog this season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Houston Astros, with the over/under line set at 8 runs. The combined run average for Pirates games this season is 8.4 runs per game, and their over/under record is 49-57. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Pirates have gone 11-13 on the over/under. Overall, 51.4% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 or higher, with 55 of their games having lines set above 8 runs.
Jake Woodford and the Pirates are on the road to take on the Astros. Woodford has started two games so far this season, and both have been losses. In his first outing, he went 4 innings and gave up 7 runs on 10 hits, including 3 home runs. He followed that up with a 4 1/3 inning start against the Blue Jays.
So far this season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .232 and have the league’s 20th home run total. Pittsburgh is also near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, batting .287 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs. He is also on a four-game hitting streak. Oneil Cruz is also a power threat in the lineup, as he has 17 homers this season, but he is batting just .249 and has gone 9/39 in his last 10 games.
Astros Records & Stats
Houston is looking to snap a three-game losing streak today, with all three losses coming in this series vs. the Pirates. Currently, the Astros are 55-52 overall, putting them 2nd in the AL West, one game behind the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they have gone 19-17 in AL West matchups.
At home, the Astros are 30-24 this season compared to a 25-28 mark on the road. As the favorite, Houston is 41-37 this season and 14-15 as the underdog. This year, the Astros’ overall series record is 19-14-1.
The Astros have been a solid run line team this season, going 54-53 overall. They have been even better at home, going 27-27. Their average run margin is +0.4 runs per game, and they have been a better run line team as the underdog, going 18-11. When they win, they win by an average of 3.9 runs per game.
The Houston Astros are playing at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs. Houston’s games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 43-60. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 7-10-2. Overall, 62.6% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs.
Framber Valdez gets the start for the Astros today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up an earned run. In that start vs. the Dodgers, he went 6 1/3 innings, picking up the win. Valdez finished the day with 10 strikeouts, four hits, and two walks. Looking back over his last four starts, he has given up a total of five earned runs. Valdez’s record for the season is 9-5, and his ERA is 3.43. This year, opponents are batting .248 vs. Valdez. He has made 11 quality starts this season.
Yordan Alvarez has been the Astros’ top power threat this season, as his 20 home runs are the best mark on the team and 11th in the league. Alvarez is also 2nd on the team in RBIs, with 55. Catcher Yainer Diaz has been the most consistent run producer for the Astros, as he is batting .295 for the season and leads the team with 58 RBIs. Diaz has also been hot of late, going 13/32 in his last eight games.
Jose Altuve is currently on a six-game hitting streak and is batting .309 for the season. Kyle Tucker has also been a key power threat for the Astros, as he has 19 homers this season, which is 2nd on the team and 12th in the league. However, Tucker has struggled of late, going just 7/33 in his last eight games.