Astros vs. Mariners Pick
The Houston Astros debut their new start pitcher when they hit the road to face the Seattle Mariners tonight at 10:10PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Houston is favored on the road, as the Astros are getting odds of -155 to win, while the Mariners are listed with a money line of +140 to prevail. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 9.5 runs.
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Today’s pitching matchup has Justin Verlander on the mound, making his Astros’ debut to face Ariel Miranda (8-6, 4.85 ERA) of the Mariners. Verlanders started 28 games for the Tigers this season, posting a 10-8 record with a 1.28 WHIP and 3.82 ERA. He has 176 strikeouts this season with 67 walks. Miranda is coming off a 6-run effort against the Orioles over 4.1 innings. He has 129 strikeouts this season with 53 walks and a 1.22 WHIP.
The Astros won the series opener on Monday, 6-2. The road team has won five of the last six games in this series. Houston comes into today 84-53 overall and 43-22 on the road while Seattle is 69-69 overall and 37-33 at home.
Monday’s game saw Dallas Keuchel put up 7.2 innings of work while allowing just two earned runs to improve to 12-3 on the season. Erasmo Ramirez didn’t take a decision, going six innings while allowing two earned runs. Houston was led at the plate by Josh Reddick and Alex Bregman, who both drove in two runs. Seattle was led by Kyle Seager, who had two hits and two RBI.
Verlander is going to have some nerves for this debut, but he also should be recharged by joining the AL frontrunner. Verlander has never won the World Series while accomplishing almost everything he can as an individual. He already has two starts against Seattle this year, posting a 2.13 ERA in those two outings. He has also been hot, posting a 2.36 ERA for August. He should be able to best Miranda on the mound while his new hitters give him plenty of run support.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ASTROS -155