The Houston Astros will play host to the San Francisco Giants at Minute Maid Park. ATTSN Southwest will broadcast this interleague showdown and the game gets underway at 2:10 p.m. ET.
San Francisco Giants vs. Houston Astros Odds
San Francisco (+220) is coming into this one as the underdog against Houston (-240) and oddsmakers have the Over/Under for this afternoons game at 7.5 runs. Odds for betting on the games total stand at -105 for the under and -115 for the over. Bettors can also wager on the games runline with the most recent odds standing at +100 for the Giants +1.5 runs and -120 for the Astros -1.5 runs.
The Astros are 31-18 SU and 26-22 ATS. The teams lost 1.4 units for moneyline bettors while earning 2.0 units against the spread (ATS). The Giants have gone 24-25 SU this year and are 29-19 ATS. In total, the teams accumulated 3.5 units for moneyline gamblers over the early portions of the year and 7.5 units ATS.
Astros games have a 15-30-3 over/under record so far in 2018. The Giants have an over/under record of 25-21-2.
The right-handed Jeff Samardzija will get the start for San Francisco. Samardzija is 1-2 with a 6.30 ERA and 23 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Astros this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Astros are preparing to start righty Justin Verlander (5-2, 1.05 ERA), who has 84 strikeouts and 14 walks, as well as a WHIP of 0.71. Verlander did not record a start against the Giants in 2017.
Houston’s pitching staff has allowed 2.6 runs per game overall in 2018 as a unit. Its starters have a 2.26 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a solid ERA of just 2.82, a WHIP of 1.06 and a K/9 of 9.8.
The Houston hitters are putting up 4.7 runs per contest, including 4.2 per game over its last 10 games and 4.8 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .286/.339/.466 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that stretch.
The Astros hitters have been led by Jose Altuve, who is hitting .318/.367/.419 with 63 hits, 22 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Altuve had a drop-off in production against righty pitching at home last season. Across 260 such plate appearances, he slashed .296/.358/.412 (compared to his total season line of .345/.409/.547).
In the visiting dugout, San Francisco’s pitchers have allowed 4.8 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.65 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 6.91 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.23, along with a K/9 of 8.66.
The Giants offense has slashed .260/.322/.411 on its way to 4.1 runs scored per game this season, including 5.2 runs per game over the teams last 10 games and 4.8 per game over the teams last five contests (2-3 SU).
San Francisco’s hitters have been paced by Brandon Belt. Belt is slashing .313/.415/.595 with 11 home runs, 29 RBIs and 28 runs scored.
The Astros just took the previous game in this series by a score of 11 runs to two.
San Francisco Giants vs. Houston Astros Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Giants, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The under has hit in five of Houston’s last seven games.
- The Giants have hit 14 home runs in their last 10 games. The Astros have hit 11 over their last 10.
- San Francisco has recorded 27.0 runs + hits + errors per game over its last 10 outings and 24.4 over its last five.
- The Astros have won five of their last six games SU.
