Justin Verlander and the Astros are the betting favorite heading into Sunday's interleague matchup vs. the Diamondbacks. Arizona is +125 on the money line compared to the Astros at -148. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
First pitch from Minute Maid Park is set for 7:10 PM ET, and the Astros will be looking to extend their two-game winning streak. Arizona has lost three straight and is 3rd in the NL West, while the Astros lead the AL West with a record of 77-65. Ryne Nelson is starting for the Diamondbacks.
Arizona vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Diamondbacks at Astros
- Where: Minute Maid Park Houston
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds HOU -148 | ARI +125 O/U 8.5
Diamondbacks vs Astros Last Game Recap
Houston cruised to an easy 11-5 win over the Diamondbacks in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 2nd inning, scoring four of their eleven runs. As for the Diamondbacks, they scored their final run in the 7th. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -157 on the money line.
Yusei Kikuchi got the win for the Astros, going six innings and giving up four earned runs. Eduardo Rodriguez had a rough outing for the Diamondbacks, taking the loss after going just four innings and giving up four earned runs.
Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena each homered for the Astros, while Kevin Newman went deep for the Diamondbacks. Altuve, Pena, Yordan Alvarez, and Chas McCormick each had two RBIs for Houston's offense.
Diamondbacks Preview
Arizona's over/under record this season is 82-54, and their games have averaged 10.2 runs per game. The Diamondbacks are 27-24 as underdogs and 45-26 as favorites. Overall, they are 79-64, 6.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
On the road, the Diamondbacks have a run line record of 42-31, contributing to their overall run line record of 74-69. Their average run margin in winning games is +4.1, but it drops to -3.8 in losses.
Ryne Nelson gets the start for the Diamondbacks today as he faces the Astros on the road. So far this season, he has made 24 starts and has a record of 10-6. Nelson's ERA for the season is 4.15, along with a WHIP of 1.26. In his 26 appearances, he has turned in 12 quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Nelson went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and picking up the win. He pitched well in that outing, as he had nine strikeouts and gave up just four hits. Before that, he had given up two earned runs in three straight starts.
Arizona comes into the game as the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 5.4 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.6 runs per contest. The Diamondbacks have been one of the league's best home run hitting teams this season and are also near the top of the league in terms of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging.
Over the past 10 games, Eugenio Suarez has been on fire for the Diamondbacks, going 12/35 (.343) with five homers and nine RBIs. For the season, he is hitting just .244, but his 25 homers are the 2nd most on the team and 13th in the league. Ketel Marte is the team's top power threat, with 30 homers, which is the best mark in the league. He also has 81 RBIs, which is 2nd on the team.
Astros Preview
At home, the Astros have an average run margin of 1.2 per game and a 34-36 record on the run line. As underdogs, they are 25-12 on the run line. Overall, their series record is 24-19-2, and their over/under record is 57-80. The over is 17-26 in games with an 8.5 run total.
Houston leads the AL West by 5.5 games after winning two straight games. They have a 77-65 record and are 21-18 in divisional games this season. As favorites, the Astros are 59-46 straight up and 73-69 on the run line.
Through 13 starts, Justin Verlander has a record of 3-5 and an ERA of 4.52. Looking at his overall numbers, Verlander has a WHIP of 1.31 and has allowed a total of 12 home runs. Coming into the game, he has made five quality starts and is averaging 7.91 strikeouts per nine innings. In his most recent outing, Verlander took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up five earned runs on eight hits. He has lost three straight starts. Verlander's last win came on August 11th.
Heading into today's game, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. As a team, the Astros are batting .261, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. Houston's offense has been led by Yordan Alvarez, who is hitting .313 for the season and has 32 home runs, which is the best mark on the team and 10th best in the MLB. Over his last seven games, Alvarez is 9/27 with four homers.
Jose Altuve is also swinging a hot bat for the Astros, as he comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .300 for the season. Alex Bregman has also been a big power threat for the Astros, as he has 21 homers this season, which is 2nd on the team.
Diamondbacks vs. Astros Prediction: Astros ML -148
Our prediction for today's Diamondbacks vs. Astros matchup is to take the Astros on the money line at -148. We have the Astros winning this one by a score of 6-5, which means there is some value on the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Verlander is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which has him ranked 11th among all starters. As for Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson, he is projected to finish with six K's, which has him ranked 16th.
