Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction & Betting Tips 8/4/2024

Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview

From Minute Maid Park in Houston, we have the Rays and Astros facing off in an AL matchup. This one gets started at 2:10 PM ET, and the Astros are favored on the money line (-164). The money line odds for the Rays are sitting at +138, and they are 4th in the AL East, while the Astros are 2nd in the AL West.

As for the over/under line, it is sitting at 8.5 runs, and the under is favored at -115. Hunter Bigge is starting for the Rays, while the Astros are going with Spencer Arrighetti.

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Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays Trends and Key Stats

• Across their last five road games, the Rays are 3-2. This includes going 4-1 vs. the runline.
• On the opposing side, the Astros have a 2-3 (SU) record, along with a 2-3 record in their last five home contests.
• Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Astros have a straight-up record of 5-5, while going 2-8 against the runline.
• Looking back at their last ten games as the underdog, the Rays have a 5-5 straight-up record and a 7-3 record vs. the runline.

Tampa Bay cruised to a 6-1 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a huge 5th inning, scoring two-thirds of their runs. As for the Astros, they scored their only run in the 2nd. Heading into the game, the Rays were at +132 on the money line.

Zack Littell only went 5 2/3 innings for the Rays but gave up just one run and got the win. He finished the game with three strikeouts but issued one walk. Ronel Blanco struggled on the mound for the Astros, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.

At the plate, Josh Lowe was the difference for the Rays, as he homered twice, scored three times, and finished with three RBIs. Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe each had two hits and two RBIs. For the Astros, Jon Singleton hit a home run and drove in three runs.

Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction

Tampa Bay is 56-54 overall and 9.0 games behind the Orioles in the AL East. The Rays are also 4th in the division, sandwiched between the Red Sox and Blue Jays. The Rays are 16-21 against other AL East teams this year.

At home, the Rays have gone 30-29, and they are just above .500 at 26-25 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in 57 games, going 30-27 in those matchups. As for their games as the underdog, the Rays are 26-27, which includes an 17-16 mark as the road underdog.

One of the best run line bets in baseball this season has been the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 55-55 on the run line. They have been especially good on the road, going 31-20 against the run line. They have covered the run line in three straight games and are 6-0 against the run line as the underdog. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.8, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.8.

The Tampa Bay Rays are on the road today against the Houston Astros, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The Rays have an over/under record of 52-53 this season, and their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs this season, their record is 15-15, and 10.0% of their games have had higher lines. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and their current under streak is at 2 games.

The Rays are starting right-hander Hunter Bigge today vs. the Astros, and he comes into the game with a record of 0-0 and an ERA of 1.69. Bigge has made six appearances this season and has yet to give up an earned run. Out of his six appearances, he has come out of the bullpen four times on the road. Bigge’s ERA on the road is 6.75 compared to 0.0 at home. His WHIP for the season is 1.12, and opponents are batting .190 off Bigge this season. The right-hander most recently pitched on August 2nd, where he went one inning and gave up two hits. He didn’t give up a run in that outing.

Yandy Diaz comes into the game with a four-game hitting streak and has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/29 in his last seven games with two homers. Over his last eight games, Brandon Lowe is batting .448 with one home run and seven RBIs. For the season, Lowe is hitting .276 with 10 homers.

As a team, the Rays are averaging just 4 runs per game and are near the bottom of the league in home runs. Their team batting average of .235 is also just 17th in the MLB. Tampa Bay’s offense is also towards the bottom of the league in slugging percentage and OPS.

The Astros are 57-53 overall, putting them just one game behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. Houston will take on the Rays today, and the Astros are 2nd in the AL West and have gone 19-17 against other teams in the division.

At home, the Astros are 32-25 this season compared to a 25-28 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Astros are 43-38 this year and 14-15 as the underdog. The Astros’ overall series record is 19-15-1, and they are currently tied in their series vs. the Rays.

When the Astros win, they win by an average of 3.8 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.3 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 54-56, with a run line record of 27-30 at home and 27-26 on the road. They are 36-45 against the run line as the favorite and 18-11 as the underdog.

When the Astros are at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Their combined run average is 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record is 44-62. The average over/under line for their games is 9 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 14-20. So far this season, 30.9% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher, and 38.2% of their games have had lines set at 8.5 runs or lower. The under has hit in their last two games.

Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Rays at home. Arrighetti has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 4-9 with a 5.58 ERA. So far, he has turned in four quality starts and is coming off a rough outing against the Dodgers, where he gave up three earned runs in six innings of work. In that outing, he gave up two homers. Arrighetti has a WHIP of 1.54 and is averaging 10.17 strikeouts per nine innings. His walk per nine figure is 4.6.

Yainer Diaz comes into the game as the Astros’ leading hitter, with a batting average of .297 and 59 RBIs, which is the best mark on the team. He has also gone 9/20 in his last five games. Kyle Tucker is right behind him in terms of RBIs, as he has gone deep 19 times this season and is 2nd on the team with 40 RBIs. Tucker is also on a three-game hitting streak.

As a team, the Astros are 3rd in the league in batting average and are averaging 4.6 runs per game. They have been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are 13th in home runs and have the 3rd fewest strikeouts in the league.

The best bet we see in this Rays vs. Astros matchup is to take the Rays on the money line at +138. We actually have the Rays winning this game by a score of 6-4, and with the payout at +138, there is a good amount of value in taking the Rays to win outright.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Spencer Arrighetti lasting just three innings and finishing with six strikeouts. If you’re looking at some player props, Arrighetti’s strikeout line could be a good option. As for the Astros, they are projected to finish with just eight strikeouts as a team.

Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Tips

• We like the Rays on the moneyline (+138)
• The Rays are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
• Projecting a combined 10 runs, we like the over

Houston Astros Injury Report

Tampa Bay Rays Injury Report