Houston Astros Win Total Prediction
The Houston Astros flirted with a playoff appearance in 2016. Can they have a successful season in 2017?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Astros over/under for wins in 2017 has been set at 90.5. The over and under both carry odds of -115. Their odds to win the 2017 World Series are listed at 12/1 currently, while their odds to win the ALCS are at 9/2.
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The Houston Astros are coming off an 84-78 season in 2016, finishing 11 games out of the AL West race and 5 games out of the Wild Card race. A.J. Hinch is returning as manager for his third season with the team. He has produced a 170-154 record over his first two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2015.
Houston was a balanced team in 2016, scoring a total of 724 runs while allowing just 701. At the plate, they were led by Jose Altuve, who hit .338 while racking up 24 HR and 96 RBI. Carlos Correa also had 96 RBI while hitting 20 HR and batting .274. George Springer and Evan Gattis are also back in the lineup. The two combined for 154 RBI and 61 home runs. The lineup added Carlos Beltran and Josh Reddick in the offseason. Beltran, a former Astro, had 29 home runs and 93 RBI last season while batting .295. Reddick hit .281 while splitting time with Oakland and the L.A. Dodgers last season.
Houston still has a great core for a starting rotation. Collin McHugh led the team in wins last season with 13 and in strikeouts with 177. He had just a 4.34 ERA, however. Mike Fiers was 11-8 last season with a 4.48 ERA while Dallas Keuchel struggled last season, going just 9-12 in 26 starts with a 4.55 ERA. Houston is hoping he can return to his Cy Young form of 2015. Lance McCullers is also in the mix after starting 14 games last year with a 3.22 ERA. The team got some nice starts out of rookie Chris Devinski, who had a 2.16 ERA over 108 innings of work with 104 strikeouts. They are hoping he can play a bigger role this season, but that could be in the bullpen. When it comes to the closer, there isn’t a clear standout. Houston used three different arms last season and it appears there is no clear solution this season either.
The Houston Astros are certainly better on paper at the plate, while the pitching staff is also pretty solid. However, Houston is relying on improvements from their arms, most of which came from the team last season. Keuchel should be better than he was a year ago, but how much? McHugh and Fiers weren’t exactly stellar and McCullers didn’t have a lot of traction in 2016. Houston hasn’t gotten to 91 wins since 2004. It isn’t easy to do and I am not sure this roster has what it takes to do it. The safer play seems to be the under.
2017 MLB SEASON WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: HOUSTON ASTROS UNDER 90.5