Rays vs Astros Series Odds: Baseball Betting Preview
Astros Definitive World Series Favorite, Rays Magic Number at 1
Rays vs Astros Series Odds Preview: The Astros won’t own the best record in baseball, but they once again can rule the American League with one more victory. Houston leads the New York Yankees by 5 ½ games with six games to play.
Tampa was close to taking over the American League East in early September but now has been spinning their wheels after a 2-1 loss to Cleveland on Thursday. The Rays have lost four of their last five meetings in Houston.
Game Information
- Game: Tampa Bay Rays (85-71) at Houston Astros (102-54)
- Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
- Day/Time:
- Television: BSSUN, ATTH
- Streaming: Live Stream Sports
Rays Want Revenge After Last Week’s Astros Sweep
Let’s take a closer look at Rays vs Astros series odds: Tampa is as close to clinching a wild card berth as you can get. A win tonight over Houston or a loss by the Baltimore Orioles at any point in the next six games will do the trick. It will be the team’s fourth straight time in the postseason. It hasn’t been easy for the Rays or their bettors. Last night, the Rays couldn’t push across a run after the first inning and paid for it in the eighth when the Cleveland Guardians struck for two. The loss dropped Tampa to 34-40 on the road and 7-13 in their last 20 games.
Kevin Cash’s team is eventually going to find themselves playing October baseball, but from a betting perspective, they’ve been a disappointing -160 units on the year
The Rays scored just six runs in their last seven games. Kevin Cash’s team is eventually going to find themselves playing October baseball, but from a betting perspective, they’ve been a disappointing -160 units on the year.
In the month of September, Tampa supporters have lost 295 units, their second worst month of the season. They’ll walk into this series as a massive road dog, which hasn’t been a positive for bettors who might want to get a quality team with a little plus money.
The Devil Dogs are just 23-32 as an underdog producing a loss of 577 units. Over their last 15 games as a dog, Tampa is 6-9, -265 units. It’s a clear indication that they’re not surprising anyone when expected to lose, as they are tonight. Drew Rasmussen, who has lost three straight games, will toe the rubber for the Rays.
Astros Magic Number is Also Down to One
Unlike tonight’s opponent, the Houston Astros have been rolling in the month of September (18-7). To give a clear idea of how good Dusty Baker’s team has been, their worst month for losses was April when the team went just 11-10. Since then, the ‘Stros have had just one month with more than nine losses (17-11 in August). Only a 7-12 record against Baltimore, Boston, and Toronto has kept them from a franchise high in wins (107), set in 2019.
There isn’t a starter listed on some sites but we can confirm that Framber Valdez (16-5, 2.69) will get the ball for Houston. The Houston Astros money line usually follows pitching; stay tuned for all of the current Vegas MLB odds.
Valdez saw a streak of 25 straight quality starts, an MLB record, come to an end in his last outing at Baltimore. Houston is 20-9 when Valdez starts (+207 units).
This will be the first season that the former all-star will turn a profit for bettors. It’s a reasonable assumption that over the course of this series, the betting public will see the Astros, and Rays series odds will continue to favor the two-time defending American League West champions.
Books Waiting for Official Announcement on Houston Starter
TBD is still listed at most books when it comes to the Astros opening series pitcher, but it’s going to be Valdez, so don’t hesitate to get on them now if the game is being offered early.
Sometimes it is not worth it for bettors to try and overthink an obvious analysis. These two teams are going to be postseason participants, but current form shows the Houston Astros as going full speed ahead while the Rays are paddling as fast as they can to get to the finish line.
Tampa is just 45-47 against teams over .500 and 12-17 (-450 units) against clubs playing .600 or betting. To conclude our Rays vs Astros series odds preview, we were going to recommend the Houston Astros moneyline wager.
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