ODDS ANALYSIS
The Indians haven’t had much success against anybody this season, but they have been surprisingly good against the AL West-leading Astros. The Tribe took their second straight in the series with a 4-2 win Wednesday and have four wins in six games against Houston this season, up 1.72 units on the moneyline, heading into the series and season finale.
The Indians won consecutive home games for the first time since a three-game sweep of Cincinnati in mid-May and improved their woeful home record to 17-24 down 15.8 units.
Houston’s recent tailspin has them falling back into the pack in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels nipping at their heels. The Astros lost three games off their division lead by losing four of their last five games, all on the road, and are below .500 (21-22) away from Minute Maid Park for the first time all season. The teams cashed the under in each of the last two series games and the under is 5-1 in six games between the clubs this year.
PITCHING MATCHUP
With Vincent Velasquez headed to the minors, Brett Oberholtzer (2-1, 4.32 ERA) rejoins the rotation for a spot start. He last pitched for the Astros on June 27 against the Yankees when he gave up a pair of homers and six earned, getting tossed after 1.1 innings for throwing at Alex Rodriguez and sent down.
Oberholtzer has mixed results in his career against the Indians going winless in three decisions, but sports a nifty 2.82 ERA across 22.1 innings in four appearances (three starts).
Cody Anderson (1-1, 0.76 ERA) held Pittsburgh to one run over eight innings Saturday throwing just 92 pitches, but was saddled with a 1-0 loss. He is the first Indians pitcher since 1914 to log at least 7.2 innings in each of his first three starts with the club and has allowed just 14 hits and one walk for a 0.63 WHIP while opponents hit just .171 against him.
Anderson’s starts have come against Tampa Bay (twice) and Pittsburgh, teams not known for their offensive prowess. He still got the outs needed and was efficient in his pitch counts. He will be tested against the Astros.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“There’s deception. There’s location. That changeup is way above average. It’s really good. He sells it well. He has good depth to it. His command with it, to be able to go in and out, east and west, with it, is something you don’t see very often.” – Indians’ pitching coach Mickey Callaway on Cody Anderson
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
Houston has taken a hit-or-miss approach to batting this season, and for the most part the strategy has been successful. The Astros have the most wins in the American League as we approach the All-Star break and they’ve hit a MLB-high 121 home runs. But Houston’s miss approach has been alarming. The Astros have struck out 806 times this season, by far the most in the majors, and the Indians’ staff has played a large role in that total. Trevor Bauer and Cody Allen combined to strike out 10 Astros in Wednesday’s 4-2 win and the Tribe has 67 strikeouts of Houston hitters, reaching double figures four times, while taking four of six in the season series.
PROP TALK
Carlos Santana was again bumped down the Indians’ lineup as he continues to struggle at the plate. Facing Astros’ right-hander Brett Oberholtzer might help him break out of his funk. Santana had two hits Tuesday, ending a 1-for-14 stretch over his previous five games, and has a .333 lifetime average against Oberholtzer with a home run and two RBIs while amassing a 1.141 OPS. Cleveland’s uninspiring first half can be attributed to a below average offense and Santana’s resurgence is a must for the Tribe to be successful in the second half.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
As the gap closes in the AL West, everyone’s waiting to see how the Astros respond. They haven’t done a good job yet, losing four of five games to sub-.500 teams Boston and Cleveland. Houston has been a first half surprise and a second-half crumble is almost expected. Their fall may be complete by the All-Star break with Cleveland’s Cody Anderson contributing to their slide.
Cleveland 5, Houston 3
BookMaker will send out the baseball odds for this marquee matchup before any other sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame between the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians will take place Thursday, July 9, 2015, at 7:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
