At 2:10 PM ET, the Orioles and Astros face off in an AL matchup. This one is being played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and has the Astros favored on the money line (-125). The Orioles are +105 and have lost two straight, dropping them to 2nd in the AL East with a record of 49-27.
Sunday's forecast in Houston calls for scattered thunderstorms, with temperatures in the mid-80s. Framber Valdez will start for the Astros, and he is facing off against an Orioles club that is starting Albert Suarez.
Baltimore vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Orioles at Astros
- Where: Minute Maid Park Houston
- Date: Sunday, June 23rd
- Betting Odds HOU -125 | BAL +105 O/U 8.5
Orioles vs Astros Last Game Recap
Houston cruised to a 5-1 win over the Orioles in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 3rd inning, scoring all five of their runs. As for the Orioles, they scored their only run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Astros were at +125 on the money line.
Ronel Blanco started for the Astros and picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued three walks. On the other side, Corbin Burnes got the start for the Orioles and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in seven innings of work.
Chas McCormick was the difference for the Astros' offense, as he went 3/3 with two homers and five RBIs. Yordan Alvarez also had a two-hit game for Houston. Jordan Westburg hit the only home run for the Orioles, going 1/4.
Orioles Preview
After winning four straight series, the Orioles have dropped two consecutive games, putting their overall record at 49-27. They are currently 1.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore's series record is 17-4-3, and their run line record on the road is 24-13.
When the Orioles play in games with an over/under line of 8.5, the over has hit 14 times out of 22 games. This season, 38 of their 66 games have gone over the total, with the average total line being 8 runs. Today's total is set at 8.5 runs, which is higher than usual, as only 22.4% of their games have had totals of 8.5 or higher.
Right-hander Albert Suárez gets the start for the Orioles today as he faces the Astros on the road. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA. Suárez's WHIP for the season is currently 1.20. In his last outing, he took the loss, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Suárez has been much better on the road, coming in with a 1.93 ERA compared to 1.54 at home.
As a team, the Orioles are the best offensive team in the league, averaging 5.3 runs per game. They are also the league's top home run hitting team and have the league's best isolated power numbers. Baltimore is also near the top of the league in slugging percentage and OPS. Heading into the game, Anthony Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are both in the top 11 in home runs, and they are also the team's top two hitters in terms of on-base percentage.
Anthony Santander has struggled with his batting average this season, hitting just .234, but he has been hot of late, hitting six homers over his last nine games while batting .289. Gunnar Henderson has also been swinging a hot bat, going 13/39 in his last nine games.
Astros Preview
Heading into today's game, the Astros have won four straight and are seven games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. Their overall record is 37-40, and they have gone 15-12 in divisional games so far.
As the favorite, the Astros are 28-32 straight up this season, and their run line record is 35-42. The over/under record for Houston games is 27-47, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game. The O/U record for games with an 8.5 run total is 7-13.
Framber Valdez will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the White Sox, where he took the loss and gave up two earned runs in six innings of work. In that start, he gave up two homers. Valdez has a record of 5-5 this season and an ERA of 3.91. Looking at his overall numbers, Valdez has made 12 starts, one of which was a complete game, and seven have been quality starts. His ERA at home is 4.99, compared to 4.32 on the road. Opponents are batting .244 off Valdez this season.
Heading into today's game, the Astros are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 4th in home runs and have the league's top team batting average at .260. Houston also does a great job of putting the ball in play, as they have the fewest strikeouts in the league.
Yordan Alvarez has been the team's top power threat this season, as his 16 homers are 2nd on the team and 9th in the MLB. Kyle Tucker leads the Astros with 19 homers and is 2nd on the team in RBIs. Over his last 10 games, Alex Bregman has gone 13/42 and has scored six runs.
Orioles vs. Astros Prediction: Astros ML -125
The best bet in this Orioles vs. Astros matchup is to take the Astros on the money line at -125. We have the Astros winning this game by a score of 6-5. With the payout for an Astros win at -125, we see this as a much better payout compared to the over/under line, which is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Framber Valdez is projected to finish with six strikeouts compared to Albert Suarez with six. However, we have Valdez finishing with a better line and finishing with a better chance of picking up the win.
