Ryan Hodges
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The Rays got a badly-needed win to kick off this series on Friday. The Astros will look to bounce back on Saturday to continue pushing for the top spot in the AL West. Both teams are within 2 games of their division lead and are looking to add to their roster in the next few days ahead of the trade deadline. In a stacked American League, this series could be a playoff preview. This is a great matchup with plenty to watch for.
If you’re looking to have some action on this game, check out our Rays vs Astros Same Game Parlay below. You can also read our MLB predictions for picks on the side and total of every game.
Astros ML (-135)
Under 8.5 (-115)
Kyle Tucker 2+ total bases (+135)
Same Game Parlay odds: +650
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Astros ML (-135)
The Astros and Rays have been going in opposite directions over the last couple of weeks. The Rays are 3-8 in their last 11 games and the Astros have had their number as Tampa has dropped 8 of the last 11 head-to-head meetings going back to last season. As dominant as the Rays were for the first half of the season, they are in a bit of a downward spiral.
The same cannot be said for the Astros. The AL West has been controlled by the Rangers for the majority of the season. But here come the Astros, as usual! They are 6-3 in their last 9 games and have got to within 2 games of Texas. Things are pointing upward for the reigning World Series champions. The Rays capitalized in the 9th inning last night to win 4-3, but look for the Astros to bounce back and even up this series.
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Under 8.5 (-115)
The under has been rolling for both of these teams. It has hit in 8 of the Rays’ last 10 games and in 6 of their last 7 on the road. The total has also gone under in 9 of their last 10 games played in Houston. For the Astros, the under has hit in 7 of their last 10 games and in 4 of their last 6 at home.
In their respective last 10 games, the over-under record is a combined 5-15. Neither the Rays nor Astros have been putting up prolific numbers offensively and they both have decent pitching. If that was the case for just one of these teams it would look good for the under but it applies to both teams. The matchup, team strengths and recent trends look good for another under.
Kyle Tucker 2+ total bases (+135)
Kyle Tucker has been fantastic for the Astros this season. He potentially would have a shot at winning the MVP were it not for some guy in his division named Shohei Ohtani. Tucker leads the Astros in 9 offensive statistical categories including batting average, home runs, RBIs and OPS. His numbers have steadily increased as the season has progressed to a point wherehe now has 7 home runs, 20 RBIs and a 1.213 OPS in July.
July has been Tucker’s best month of the season and he still has 3 more games to pad those numbers. For any offense that the Astros generate, there is a good chance that he will be involved. He should be batting 3rd in the lineup with Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez behind him to drive him around the base paths. Those guys are great protection in the lineup. Until he cools down, Tucker is a great props play.
You can also read our MLB game predictions for Saturday’s slate.
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