ODDS ANALYSIS
The Astros send the best pitcher in baseball to the hill in the finale of a four-game set with the Orioles.
Houston took the first two of the series, overcoming a four-run deficit for a 6-4 win Tuesday.
Lefty Dallas Keuchel is a top money pitcher with the Astros 9-2 up 6.3 units in his 11 starts. One of the losses came last week in Baltimore in a 4-3 O’s win. Houston has also cashed the under in five of his six home starts. Houston continues to be strong on the moneyline up 12.43 units for the season and is in the black 2.89 units at Minute Maid Park.
Baltimore fell a season-high five games below .500 with Tuesday’s loss, its fourth straight, and is 2-3 against Houston this season, in the red 1.22 units. The O’s remain a disappointment on the field and at the betting window, especially on the road where they dropped to 6-15 in the red 8.5 units.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Baltimore’s Wei-Yin Chen (1-4, 3.21 ERA) overcame some early troubles against the Rays on Saturday, eventually lasting seven innings while surrendering three runs on six hits in a 3-0 loss. He allowed two solo home runs and the long ball continues to be a problem – he’s given up 10 with at least one in each of his last four turns.
Chen gave up 11 hits in five innings to the Astros on May 25, starting opposite Dallas Keuchel, but limited them to just three runs in a no-decision. He is 3-0 against Houston in four lifetime starts with a 3.28 ERA.
Houston’s Dallas Keuchel (7-1, 1.76 ERA) was dominant in Saturday’s 3-0 win over the White Sox, striking out 11 in a complete game shutout. He had everything working giving up just four hits without walking a batter in the 113-pitch gem. It was his second career shutout and eighth complete game.
Keuchel was tagged for six hits, including two homers, and four runs in an eight-inning complete game taking the loss in a 4-3 Orioles win on May 25. The two home runs are more than he’s allowed in his other 10 starts combined.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I was lucky enough to have some pretty good command. They were hacking a little bit, but I was showing them enough first-pitch strikes they had to go up there and be cautious of every single pitch I was throwing. That’s the way I like it, and it went according to plan.” – Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel after shutting out the White Sox on Saturday
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Astros lead the American League in home runs and Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen is adept at giving up the long ball. Houston has seven players with five or more homers, led by Evan Gattis and Luis Valbuena, who each went deep in Tuesday’s win. It’s been a feast or famine approach for the Astros who also lead the AL strikeouts and are at the bottom of the league in team batting average. But the approach is working. Chen has surrendered at least one home run in eight starts this season and 10 overall. George Springer, who has seven homers, went yard off Chen when the teams met on May 25. Look for one of Houston’s bombers to connect.
PROP TALK
The Astros lineup is built to do damage against pitchers like Wei-Yin Chen, who doesn’t overpower hitters and relies on finesse to get batters out. The Astros are free-swingers, pretty much all of them, and they lead the majors in striking out. However, against Chen on May 25, they pounded out 11 hits in five innings with George Springer touching him for three hits, including a home run. Springer is back in the leadoff spot and has hit safely in seven of nine games after collecting a single on Tuesday, and has five hits in nine career at-bats against Chen. He gets a few more and scores a couple in Houston’s win.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s hard to go against a top pitcher in the league coming off a brilliant performance. Dallas Keuchel was masterful in a four-hit shutout of the White Sox on Saturday, lowering his ERA to 1.76. He did have a rough outing in Baltimore on May 25 giving up a season-high four earned runs, but look for the lefty to have a nice outing, especially with Baltimore’s top offensive player Adam Jones dealing with a sore ankle.
The Astros produce enough runs by hitting the long ball. They lead the AL in homers and are likely to connect off Wei-Yen Chen, who has surrendered 10 already this season. The surprising Astros continue their glorious run, at least for another day.
Houston 5, Baltimore 2
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Baltimore Orioles versus the Houston Astros will commence Thursday, June 4, 2015, at 2:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
