First pitch for Saturday's Diamondbacks vs. Astros interleague matchup is set for 4:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros are 1st in the AL West and have an overall record of 76-65, while the Diamondbacks are 3rd in the NL West and have an overall record of 79-63.
Arizona is currently on a two-game losing streak, and the Astros are favored in this one, with money line odds of -165 compared to the Diamondbacks at +141. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and Yusei Kikuchi is scheduled to start for the Astros, while the Diamondbacks are sending Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound.
Arizona vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Diamondbacks at Astros
- Where: Minute Maid Park Houston
- Date: Saturday, September 7th
- Betting Odds HOU -165 | ARI +141 O/U 8
Diamondbacks vs Astros Last Game Recap
Houston cruised to an easy 8-0 win over the Diamondbacks in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 2nd inning, scoring seven of their eight runs. As for the Diamondbacks, they had their best chance to score in the 5th, but left the bases loaded.
Framber Valdez only went seven innings for the Astros but didn't give up a run and finished with seven strikeouts. He picked up a win in the game, while Brandon Pfaadt had a rough outing for the Diamondbacks, taking the loss.
Yordan Alvarez hit the game's only two home runs while going 2/4 with six RBIs. Jose Altuve also had a three-hit game and scored twice for Houston's offense.
Diamondbacks Preview
Arizona has been a strong run line bet on the road, with a 42-30 record. Their games have averaged 10.2 runs this season, resulting in an 81-54 over/under record. The Diamondbacks are 25-16-4 in series this year, and they have won three straight series on the road.
The Diamondbacks are 79-63 overall and are currently 3rd in the NL West, 5.5 games behind the Dodgers. They have lost two in a row and are down 0-1 in the series vs. the Astros. Arizona's road record is 40-32, and at home, they are 39-31. Straight up, they are 45-26 as favorites and 34-37 as underdogs.
Eduardo Rodriguez and the Diamondbacks are on the road to take on the Astros. Rodriguez has started 3 games so far this season, and he has a 1-1 record. In his last outing, he took a loss vs. the Dodgers, going 4 innings and giving up 3 runs on 2 homers. He did strike out 7 in that start.
Arizona's offense has been the best in the league this season, averaging 5.4 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.6 runs per contest. The Diamondbacks also lead the MLB in on-base percentage, at .335, and are 2nd in both team batting average and OPS.
Over the past five games, Eugenio Suarez has gone 6/17 with two homers and six runs scored. For the season, he is hitting just .242, but his 24 home runs is 2nd on the team and 12th in the league. Ketel Marte has been Arizona's top power threat, with 30 homers, and he is also batting a team-best .296. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has 17 homers this season and is batting .274.
Astros Preview
Currently, the Astros have a 76-65 record and are leading the AL West by 4.5 games over the Mariners. Their series record this season is 24-19-2. Houston's run line record is 72-69, with an average run margin of +0.6 runs per game.
As underdogs, the Astros have a 25-12 run line record and their over/under record for games with an 8-run total is 11-13-2. This season, their games have averaged 8.5 runs, and their overall over/under record is 56-80.
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Astros today as he faces off against the Diamondbacks. Kikuchi has made 28 starts this year and has a record of 7-9 with an ERA of 4.24. This season, he has turned in nine quality starts and is coming off a game in which he gave up just one earned run in seven innings of work. In that outing, he finished with 12 strikeouts. Kikuchi has been pitching well recently, as he hasn't lost a game since August 6th. His ERA at home is 4.58 compared to 5.5 on the road.
Yordan Alvarez has been the Astros' top hitter this season, with a batting average of .310 and 32 home runs, which is the best mark on the team and 10th in the league. He has four homers in his last five games and has gone 5/19 over that stretch. Jose Altuve is on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .297 for the season, with 18 homers.
As a team, the Astros are 3rd in batting average and 12th in runs scored, averaging 4.6 runs per game. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. Houston is also one of the league's best teams at avoiding strikeouts, but they don't draw many walks. Overall, their on-base percentage is 6th in the league.
Diamondbacks vs. Astros Prediction: Over 8 Runs -119
Our predicted score for this game is a 6-5 win for the Astros, which would make a money line bet on them at -165 a good option. However, we see there being more value on the over/under line, with the line currently sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitcher's strikeout projections, we have Eduardo Rodriguez finishing with six strikeouts and Yusei Kikuchi finishing with seven. If you're looking for a player prop bet, you could look at the over on Kikuchi's strikeout line.
Offensively, we have the Astros finishing with 10 hits compared to the Diamondbacks with nine. If you're looking for a player prop bet, you could also look at the home run markets, with the Astros finishing with a higher team home run projection.
