The over/under line for Wednesday's Astros vs. Phillies interleague matchup is at 9.5 runs, and the Phillies are favored on the money line (-111). The Astros have a money line payout of -108, and the game will be televised on NSPPH.
First pitch from Citizen Bank Park is set for 4:05 PM ET, and the forecasted temperature is 89 degrees with scattered clouds. Houston will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak, and they are 1st in the AL West, while the Phillies have won four straight and are 1st in the NL East. Taijuan Walker is slated to start for the Phillies, and the Astros are starting Spencer Arrighetti.
Houston vs. Philadelphia Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Astros at Phillies
- Where: Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia
- Date: Wednesday, August 28th
- Betting Odds PHI -111 | HOU -108 O/U 9.5
Astros vs Phillies Last Game Recap
Thanks to a four-run 3rd inning for the Phillies' offense, they cruised to a 5-0 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Phillies were favored at -140 on the money line.
Aaron Nola started for the Phillies and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued just one walk. On the other side, Justin Verlander got the start for the Astros and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work.
Philadelphia's top three hitters, Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, and Austin Hays, combined for four hits, three runs, and three RBIs. Bryce Harper also had a two-hit game for the Phillies' offense.
Astros Preview
As the Astros look to avoid a sweep by the Phillies, they come into today's game with a 70-62 record, holding a 3.5-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. Houston has struggled recently, losing two straight games and going 4-6 in their last 10.
For those considering the run line, the Astros have been a better bet on the road, with a 38-30 record, compared to 35-33 straight up. Their games have gone under the total in 87.1% of contests with over/under lines of 9.5 or higher, and the under has hit in their last 2 games.
Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Phillies on the road. Arrighetti has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 6-11 with a 4.94 ERA. In his 23 appearances, he has turned in seven quality starts. Arrighetti's ERA on the road is 6.56, and he has a record of 3-6 away from home. The last time he took the mound, Arrighetti pitched well, going six innings and picking up the win. In that outing, he didn't give up a run and allowed just three hits. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts.
Yordan Alvarez has been one of the best power hitters in the league this season, as his 25 home runs are 11th in the MLB and the most on the Astros. He is also batting .305 with a team-high 67 RBIs. Alex Bregman is 2nd on the team with 21 homers but has struggled of late, going just 7/31 in his last seven games. Overall, Bregman is batting .259 for the season.
As a team, the Astros are 3rd in batting average and are averaging 4.5 runs per game. They are also a tough team to strike out, as their 7 strikeouts per game is the 3rd best mark in the league. Houston comes into the game with a team BABIP of .30, which is 6th in the league.
Phillies Preview
Philadelphia has won four straight games and currently leads the NL East by six games over the Braves with a 78-54 record. At home, the Phillies are 44-23, and as the favorite, they are 66-40 straight up. Their average run margin on the season is +0.9, and their games have had an average of 8 runs.
The over/under line for today's game is set at 9.5 runs, which is higher than their season average. The over has hit in 7 of 14 games with a 9.5 run line, and their games have gone under in 61 of 126 games this season.
Taijuan Walker will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Royals, as he gave up six earned runs in just three innings of work. In that start, he gave up two homers. Walker has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 3-5 with a 6.26 ERA. Looking at his home/away splits, Walker has an ERA of 8.06 on the road compared to 5.92 at home. His ERA for August is 6.75, and he has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his last three outings. Walker's WHIP for the season is 1.58.
Philadelphia comes into today's game as one of the league's best offensive teams, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 5th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.3 runs per game. The Phillies are also near the top of the league in team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
Over his last four games, J.T. Realmuto has gone 8/17 with two homers and seven RBIs. Nick Castellanos has also been swinging a hot bat, going 7/21 with two homers over his last five games. Castellanos is also on a five-game hitting streak, as is Realmuto and Bryce Harper.
Astros vs. Phillies Prediction: Phillies ML -111
There is a lot of value in taking the Phillies on the money line in this one, as they are currently at -111 to pick up the win at home. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Phillies, giving you a chance to grab them on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Taijuan Walker is projected to have a better outing than Spencer Arrighetti. Walker is projected to go deep into the game and finish with five strikeouts. As for Arrighetti, he is projected to finish with seven K's but has a higher ERA.
